The Legend of Spyro: Age of Heroes Book II
by Spartan-029
Summary: Continuing the series of Age of Heros. When a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world; his spirit lives on . . . despite Spyro's best efforts. Be prepared for the second installment to AoH. You're in for a wild ride.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"You can't defeat me! I am eternal!" Malefor, the Dark Master, roared. He opened his jaws wide and unleashed a wave of Convexity at the two young dragons before him.

Spyro and Cynder retaliated using their own power. The two opposing sides grappled for power. The younger dragons were already exhausted from constant battling over the past several days. Cynder began to fall back, beating her wings frantically to keep up with Spyro.

"Just...hang...on!" Spyro cried, trying to fight back as much as possible.

Hearing his fatigued voice gave Cynder the extra push she needed. She forced more energy out and Malefor's eyes grew wide. The young dragons knocked the dark master out of the air and sent the massive dragons bouncing across a crystalline surface.

Malefor shook the stars from his head and rolled onto his feet. No one had been able to match his power up until then. He leered at the young dragons with killing intent. Spyro and Cynder braced themselves for the attack.

Suddenly the ghostly figures of the guardians rose from the crystal. Malefor looked around in surprise. "What is this?" He demanded. Spyro and Cynder glanced at each other. Neither had any explanation for the other.

The guardians dove towards Malefor. The Dark Master felt himself sink into the crystal. "Noooo!" He bellowed. He tried to claw himself free but to no avail. Spyro and Cynder watched as he disappeared from their view and into the crystal. The surface shuddered and the crystal began to break apart.

Spyro and Cynder landed on the last remaining ground of their dying planet. They gasped heavily and Cynder staggered over to Spyro. "Spyro...I'm sorry." She shook her head sadly, tears nearly ready to spill at any given moment. "I'm so sorry."

Spyro smiled at her, though the feeling wasn't fully there. "Don't be. It's over now." All around them, the planet was disintegrating in large chunks.

Cynder looked around. "So this is it?"

Spyro sighed and closed his eyes. He began to concentrate as he heard Ignitus's voice speak to him.

"Spyro. When a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world. His spirit lives on. Binding itself with nature. Offering hope, for the future."

Spyro's eyes snapped open. He turned to Cynder, know this may be the last chance she would have to get out alive. "I know what I need to do. Just get out of here Cynder."

"Spyro no!" Cynder protested desperately. "You don't have to do anything!" She shook her head, pleading for him not to do what she thought he was planning. "Let's just go."

"Where Cynder?" Spyro thrust his head around. "There'll be nothing left! The world is breaking apart. But I think that I can stop it." He sighed as he came to terms with his destiny. "I think I'm meant to."

Cynder stared into his purple eyes. She sighed and smiled to herself. This was the reason she admired Spyro the most. He was never willing to give up without trying.

"Then I'm with you." She nodded, determined to stay by his side.

Spyro's eyes widened as he saw how she stared at him. He closed his eyes for perhaps the last time and spread his wings wide. He felt his power flow freely for perhaps the first time ever.

Cynder smiled at him and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Spyro, as tired and worn out as he was, looked like he was completely at peace with himself. The dragoness suddenly felt at peace with herself. She may not have another opportunity in a matter of moments.

"I love you." She whispered.

Spyro's energy flowed from his body at a rapid pace. The purple aura spread outward and formed a barrier around the broken chunks of the planet. The masses of land stopped where they were and began to draw back in towards the two dragons. As their planet began to reform itself, Cynder found the area around her and Spyro closing in. She sighed and moved closer to him, but was careful enough not to break his concentration. There was a loud crack and the crystal Malefor had been sealed in broke apart. Cynder watched as the shards were expelled from the planet, never allowing the Dark Master to be revived, ever again.

The black dragoness sighed easily as the planet soon became whole again. The only remaining light was coming from Spyro's body, but even that was beginning to fade. Cynder moved closer to Spyro and curled up at his feet and let the darkness take over.

"Cynder." The black dragoness twitched her eyelids. "Cynder, wake up."

"Spyro?" Cynder mumbled in her sleep. "Spyro, is that you?"

"It's me Cynder. Open your eyes." Cynder blinked. Her vision was blurred and it took several minutes for it to clear up. She looked up into the smiling face of Spyro the dragon.

"Spyro?" She raised her head and looked around. They sat in the middle of a grassy field surrounded by wild flowers and puffy, white clouds overhead. "What's going on? Are we dead?"

Spyro laughed. "No Cynder, we're not dead." The dragon looked at him curiously. She had just woken up and already her head felt like it was about to explode. "You're fine. Trust me." Spyro nuzzled her slightly. "Everything is just fine."

18 Months Later

Ember sighed as she lay against Flame's chest. The young guardian sighed happily and his heart began to beat faster.

Ember chuckled to herself. "You're comfy." She nuzzled his chest with her cheek before turning back to gaze up at the night sky.

"And you're still beautiful." Flame leaned down and gave her a kiss on the muzzle. Ember giggled childishly and blushed. The two dragons took in the sky above them. The stars were clear and shining like millions of gems in the blackness.

"Look!" Ember pointed a talon as a star shot across the night sky. "Quick! Make a wish!" She urged Flame. The fire breather twisted his mouth as he thought quickly. He could only think of one thing and he closed his eyes as he whispered it in his mind. Flame opened his eyes to see Ember looking at him. "Did you make a wish?" She asked excitedly.

"Sure did." Flame nodded.

"And..."

"It's come true so far." Flame smirked and bumped her nose with his.

"You're so sweet." Ember rolled over on top of him. "I'm sorry I didn't notice you before."

Flame shook his head. "All I care about is that I have you now." Flame stroked her cheek. "And that's all I ever want."

"Even more than being guardian?"

"Being what?' Flame chuckled. "I'm sorry I was too busy noticing how stunning you look under the starts."

Ember smiled. "I love you Flame." She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. The two dragons enjoyed the feeling until Ember broke away. She rolled off of Flame and snuggled close to him.

"I think it's your turn." Flame thrust his head towards the sky as another star shot across the darkness. Ember closed her eyes and began to think. She had just made up her mind when Flame spoke. "Wow!" The pink dragoness opened her eyes to see another star go flying by; then another, and another.

"Amazing!" Ember gasped as the stars flew by. As they watched the show, the stars began to glow with purple light.

"Now there's something you don't see every day." Flame raised his brows.

"I'll say." Ember nodded. They continued watching in silence then Ember squinted up into the darkness. "Flame?"

"Huh."

"Does that one look like it's getting closer?" Ember got to her feet, still squinting into the distance.

"I dunno." Flame got up beside her and followed her eyes. Over the distant mountains came a faint purple glow. The dark sky began to reflect the color as the meteorite drew closer. The ground began to shake and the air grew hot.

"Um...Flame..."

"I know." He nodded. "We should probably move. That one's probably going to land close by." The guardian spread his wings and took to the air with Ember close behind him. They hadn't been flying five minutes when the star shot over their heads.

"Holy crap!" Ember shrieked and ran into Flame. The two dragons watched as the meteorite smashed through a mountain in the distance with a brilliant purple flash. After a brief moment the shock wave hit Flame and Ember, sending the two tumbling head over heals through the air. Flame leveled out and caught Ember.

"Well that just killed the mood." Flame snorted smoke from his nostrils.

"Yeah." Ember nodded. "Nothing kills a romantic moment like a falling star falling too close to you."

"You think we should check it out?" Flame looked at her as he let her go.

Ember scrunched her mouth up. "I don't think so. I'd rather just get some sleep. We head home in two days. And we still have one more village to visit."

"Fair enough." Flame shrugged, somewhat disappointed. He knew his guardian duties came first. "It'll be good to see Spyro and Cynder again."

"Then what do you say we find some place nice and quiet to bed down for the night." Ember put on her flirtatious smile. She let her talons run along Flame's spine as she flew past him, causing him to shiver.

"Hey! I thought you said you weren't in the mood!" Flame called after her.

"I never said that." Ember giggled over her shoulder. "You did!"

"What!" Flame took off after her. "Get back here you little minx!" Ember squealed and increased her pace. The last noise was the sound of the two dragons laughing in the distance.


	2. Chapter 1

Cynder woke to the sun shining in her eyes. She grimaced at having to wake up before she was ready. She covered her head with her wing, shielding herself from most of the light. After trying for several minutes to fall back asleep, she gave up. The dragoness sighed and looked down at Spyro. She held the purple dragon close to her and seeing him still fast asleep made her smile. Seeing Spyro so calm always put her in a good mood.

Cynder bent down and licked the side of Spyro's head. The dragon's eyelids twitched at the sensation. A smirk slid across Cynder's lips and she let her tongue slide out and tap him on the cheek ever so slightly. Spyro moaned in his sleep but still didn't wake up. Cynder giggled to herself and the movement finally brought Spyro back.

"What's so funny?" He asked, his head rocking out of sleepiness.

"Nothing." Cynder stroked his crest. "Good morning Spyro."

"Good morning to you too bright eyes." He leaned back and rubbed his forehead under her chin. Cynder released him from her grasp and they rolled to their feet for a good stretch. As they were heading down to breakfast, they heard the sound of wings fluttering over their heads.

"Spyro! Cynder!" A cheerful voice called out.

Both dragons looked up to see two fire dragons come down to hover over them.

"Flame! Ember!" Spyro's heart leaped for joy. It had been over six months since he had last seen them. "When did you guys get here?"

"Just last night." Flame smiled as they landed next to them. "Just after you two had gone to bed from what we heard." Both Spyro and Cynder's cheeks flushed and they laughed nervously.

"How have you two been?" Ember asked, looking them both over.

"We've been great." Cynder rubbed her shoulder against Spyro's. "How was your trip?"

"Let's talk about it over breakfast." Flame jerked his head over his shoulder. "I'm starving for some good old home-style food."

Spyro laughed. "Sounds good."

"It shot right over your heads?" Cynder gasped in surprise as Ember went on telling the story of their close encounter with the meteorite.

"Yeah." The pink dragoness nodded. "It was pretty close. Landed in a mountain range, thankfully."

"Hey everybody!" All heads in the kitchen turned towards the noise. "Spyro! Buddy!"

"Sparx!" Spyro smiled as his brother flew over and hugged his muzzle. "How are you? How's Mom and Dad?"

"They're doing great!" Sparx smiled. "You'll never guess what happened to them though."

Spyro's smile vanished. "What? What's going on?" He asked skeptically.

Sparx looked around before coaxing the dragons to lean closer. "We have a new little brother!" He shouted excitedly.

"Wow! Really!" Spyro jumped to his feet, nearly knocking everyone's food over with his tail.

"That's great Sparx!" Cynder congratulated him. "When did this happen?"

"About a month ago." Sparx replied after a brief pause.

"It's too bad we missed it." Spyro shook his head in disappointment.

"Nah, buddy, you didn't miss anything." Sparx waved a hand. "You didn't want to see what was going on anyways. Besides, that's why I'm here?"

"What do you mean?" Spyro and Cynder raised their brows suspiciously.

"I needed a break from the little guy. I love him and all, but he's just so loud. I couldn't get any sleep." Sparx rubbed his head as if he were suffering from a headache.

Cynder chuckled. "A taste of your own medicine huh Sparx?"

Spyro laughed. "Yeah. Now we'll have two of him hanging around." The other dragons all laughed. Sparx leered at them all. Then a devilish grin formed on his mouth.

"You know, you're right. I could use a side-kick. I can teach him everything I know about dealing with you dragons on a daily basis." The laughter stopped as the dragons all looked at each other with wide eyes, very much aware of what they faced in the future. Seeing the reaction he was hoping for, Sparx found himself content. "I'm just kidding with you guys. Sort of."

The dragons all laughed nervously and turned back to their morning meals.

Several minutes passed with the dragons making side conversations with one another. Sparx helped himself to some of the food on Spyro's plate. He was busy stuffing his mouth when he noticed some movement on the floor behind him. He turned to see Cynder and Spyro twisting their tails together and the two dragons making side-glances at each other.

Sparx raised a brow and hovered closer to his brother.

"So uh, Spyro..." He whispered. Spyro turned his head slightly with his mouth full of food. "How are you and Cynder doing?"

Spyro swallowed and smiled. "We're doing great."

"I see." Sparx rubbed his chin curiously. "And are you two..."

"Are we what?" Spyro asked as he took another large mouthful.

"You know the bird and the bees... Doing horizontal boogie."

Spyro's eyes nearly popped out of his head and he spat his food across the table into Flame's face.

"Ew! Gross Spyro!" The guardian snapped in disgust. Ember and Cynder exchanged glances between the boys. "I'm going to move." Flame positioned himself on the other side of Ember, across from Cynder.

"I'm sorry!" Spyro glared at his brother. "Sparx!"

"Okay, okay!" He held his hands up in defense. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked you."

As Flame wiped his face Sparx hovered over towards Cynder.

"Hey, Cynder." Sparx grabbed her attention. "Would you say that you and Spyro are doing pretty well?"

"I've never been happier." Cynder smiled and took another chunk of meat off her platter.

"Yeah, that's great and all, but are you two really doing well together? Like are you guys mates yet?"

This time Cynder's eyes widened and she spewed her mouth's contents into Flame's face.

"Fore Pete's sake!" Flame snarled and dragged a paw across his face. "I can't take any more of this conversation, what ever it may be."

Cynder and Spyro exchanged an embarrassed look. Both dragons blushed and turned away from each other.

"Yeah, perhaps I should leave you kids alone." Sparx laughed and took off.

As Flame and Ember exited the dining hall they spotted the two earth guardian candidates heading towards them.

Tremor and Gaia were twins. Both were very enthusiastic young dragons when it came to their guardian training. Gaia was the quieter and more reserved of the two. She preferred to sit and let situations play out rather than jump into the middle of things like her impulsive brother.

The young earth dragons saw Flame and bowed politely. "Welcome back Flame." Tremor said with a smile. "You done with breakfast already?"

Flame snorted smoke from his nostrils. "I suggest you avoid Spyro and Cynder for a while. " He replied as Ember flicked the last remaining flecks of food from his face. "Otherwise, you'll end up with more breakfast than you want." The twins watched as the two fire breathers disappeared down the hall before turning back to the dining room.

"I'm almost afraid to ask." Gaia glanced at her brother.

Tremor just snickered to himself. "Me too."


	3. Chapter 2

"That will be all for today my pupils." Cyril concluded his lecture.

"Thank you master Cyril." The guardian candidates chimed in together.

Cyril watched as they filed out of his lecture hall and smiled. They were all very fine young dragons. The candidates all did exceptionally well in practicing their combat maneuvers, and deep down he wished he could teach the young dragons until the end of time.

"We should hurry." Stella suggested. "I'm sure Master Spyro is waiting for us." Stella was the candidate who would be taking Volteer's place. She wasn't very shy and always eager to learn new things and make new friends with those around her. She was what Spyro and Cynder considered a half-charged Volteer. She was energetic without the constant babbling.

"Then let's hurry." Tremor nodded and took to the air with the other candidates close behind him. The group of dragons flew towards the upper towers for their next training exercise for the day. When they landed they found Spyro waiting for them with Sparx.

"Good morning Master Spyro." Stella bowed slightly. She was just a couple inches shorted than the purple dragon himself, but she viewed him in a much higher standard. She secretly admired Spyro but was very good at hiding it. Unlike Ember, she wasn't going to fight with Cynder for him. She never really thought that she could truly fall for her teacher.

"Master?" Sparx raised a brow at his brother. "You go from hero-boy to Master in the time I'm gone. I'm afraid to ask what you'll turn into next."

Spyro blushed. "You know you don't need to refer to me as Master, right? I'm not a guardian or anything like that."

"No." Stella shook her head. "But you have mastered all the elements. You're like four guardians in one." She smiled playfully. Spyro just laughed, a little bit embarrassed. He was still feeling a little awkward about teaching dragons that were close to his age. But they all respected him and took his lessons to heart.

"Sorry we're late." Gaia apologized. "Master Cyril went on a little bit of a tangent again."

"It's all right." Spyro raised a paw dismissively. "I know how he is."

"I'd be more surprised if he didn't." Sparx muttered.

"So who is this?" Tremor asked stepping forward and eyeing Sparx.

"I think the real question is, who are you buddy." Sparx pointed a punishing finger and the earth dragon pulled back slightly.

"I'm Tremor." He said proudly. "And this is my twin sister Gaia. We're the Earth Guardian candidates."

"Oh wow." Sparx nodded in sarcastic interest. "That's absolutely fascinating. See, I'm the great and mighty Sparx. You know, god of the Atlawa tribe, savior of the Manweersmalls, and best buds with your hero Spyro here." He gave his brother a friendly jab in the shoulder.

Spyro just laughed. "He's my brother." The candidates all turned and gave him confused looks. "We grew up together. He was born the same day I hatched from my egg." Spyro explained reading their expressions.

"Yeah. Spyro spent a good part of his life thinking that he was a dragonfly." That got a laugh from the candidates.

"Anyways, it's a long story." Spyro interrupted. "We have training to do right now."

"Yeah, you guys, let's try and keep on task. We can listen to Spyro's life story after." Candice piped up. Candice, like Stella, was the only candidate for her element, ice. She made quick friends with the other female dragons along with Spyro and Flame as well. She knew the value of knowledge and was Volteer and Cyril's favorite student. Tremor noticed this early on and would call her out on it. Ever since, the two dragons were always bickering back and forth.

"Kiss ass." Tremor grumbled under his breath. Candice shot him a glare. He hadn't said anything to her so far but now he was on the attack.

Spyro sighed and shook his head. The guardians noticed the rivalry and had suggested Spyro put it to the test to see how strong their rivalry was. The purple dragon was not looking forward to it.

"All right you two, calm down. You two are going to be up first."

The two dragons stared at Spyro in shock, then at each other, then to Spyro again. They both wanted to protest but they knew better than to question an instructor.

Sparx watched the two dragons glare at each other as they stepped into the ring. "I think I came on a good day." He chuckled to himself.

"The point of today's drill is to work with your teammate." Spyro started.

"Teammates?" Candice and Tremor gasped. Neither had worked together on the same team before; nor had they wanted to.

"You two will be combining your powers to take down a stronger opponent."

"Great." Tremor rolled his eyes.

"Just try not to slow me down." Candice spat at the earth dragon.

"Don't worry about me Frosty." Tremor glared back at her. "If you just fly circles around the enemy, they're not going to just keel over from that. You'll actually have to attack them at some point."

"It's called strategy granite-brain." Candice narrowed her eyes at him. She was very talented in Cyril's aerial maneuvers and Tremor despised her for it. "Maybe you should knock the rocks out of your head and try it sometime."

As the two dragons quarreled back and forth Sparx leaned in towards Spyro. "Please tell me you're gunna surprise them."

Spyro sighed. "I guess I have to." He hated to do that to his friends but this was training. Ignitus and the other guardians hadn't been easy on him so he needed to be just as firm with the candidates. Spyro closed his eyes. "What should I have them face?" He thought to himself. After a brief moment he opened his eyes.

Tremor and Candice were so busy arguing they didn't notice the ogre suddenly appear in the middle of the training circle. The ugly beast's eyes flashed red as it reared up on its shortened hind legs.

Candice and Tremor's heads snapped around as the monster bellowed and pounded its chest.

"Shit!" They shouted and dove to opposite sides as the ogre slammed a massive fist into the floor.

"Whoa, Spyro." Sparx gulped nervously. It had been over a year since he had seen one of those creatures. "Don't you think that's a little much?"

"I guess we'll find out." Spyro sighed.

Back in the ring, the ogre was swinging wildly at the two dragons. Tremor rolled in close and slammed his clubbed tail into its knee. The ogre howled as its knee buckled. Candice was already airborne and took the chance to fire a blast of ice. The ogre held its hand up and blocked the attack.

"Go for its weak points!" Tremor shouted and rolled away from another punch.

"You go for its its weak points!" Candice snapped back. "I'll keep it distracted!" She dove under a swipe and blasted the ogre in the face, forming a cast of ice over the beast's head. The ogre stumbled backwards, tripping over itself.

Tremor's eyes grew wide as the ogre's massive bulk fell towards him. At the last second he swung his tail and knocked the ogre across the room.

Stella and Sparx's eyes both widened. "That guy sure is a tough one." Sparx muttered to Spyro who simply nodded.

"Will you watch what you're doing!" Tremor shouted angrily at the ice dragoness. "You almost got me flattened!"

"Well excuse me!" Candice frowned. "If you would just take to the air like we dragons are supposed to, then you wouldn't have to worry about getting smushed!"

Tremor growled. "I'm an earth dragon! The earth is on the ground! Not in the air where your head seems to float about!"

"Excuse me?" Candice hissed and frost jetted from between her clenched teeth. "Training with Spyro gives us the chance to apply what we've learned from Master Volteer and Master Cyril in an active environment! I've been doing just that! But you've been sticking to your own style this whole time! I haven't seen you lift off the ground once, in a fight!"

"Shouldn't we do something?" Stella whispered to Spyro. No sooner had she spoken than the ogre got to its feet. With an angry roar it caught Tremor and Candice by surprise. It snatched Tremor up and hurled him into Candice. The two bodies slammed into the wall and crumbled to the floor in a heap of wings, tails and legs.

Both dragons groaned in pain as they struggled to get up. The ogre lumbered over and grabbed a dragon in each hand. He slammed his fists into the walls, trying to crush his prey. Tremor and Candice hollered as they struggled to break free.

At last Spyro stepped into the sparring ring. He leaped between the ogres arms and drop-kicked it. The beast shot like missile into the roof of the training hall. The same moment of impact Spyro spat a fireball up at it. The explosion rocked the tower and the dragons shielded themselves behind their wings from the dust and debris. When the cloud settled Spyro stood before Tremor and Candice who looked rather embarrassed at having to be rescued during a training exercise.

"Would either of you like to explain what just happened?" He asked calmly.

Both dragons looked at each other and leered. At last Candice spoke.

"I noticed Tremor was able to attack our enemy's weak points, so I felt I should be the one to divert the enemy's attention providing Tremor the chance to take him down."

"Well that was awfully nice of you honey." Tremor shook himself. "You almost got me crushed in the process."

Candice felt the blood rush to her face. "Don't you 'honey' me, you arrogant son-of-a-bitch!"

"Arrogant?" Tremor reared back as if he had been struck.

"If you're not going to use your training properly then the guardians may as well give your sister the title."

"I apply my training where it is necessary! So don't think for one second that I don't consider my training. If you really compare me to you, I'm ten times the dragon you are!"

"Ten times my tail!" Candice snapped. "I know hatchlings who are more mature than you!"

"Oh is that how you want to pull it?" Tremor took a step forward.

"Okay, that's enough!" Spyro raised his voice and the room instantly became silent. "The point of this drill was to get you two to work together. You're not doing yourselves any favors by shouting to each other across the room. If the enemy can hear your plans, then you may as well give up the fight then." Both candidates hung their heads in shame. "True teammates won't need to communicate verbally." Spyro continued. "They read each other's movements in order to overcome any obstacle."

"You mean like you and Cynder." Tremor raised his head slightly.

Spyro's cheeks flushed slightly and he nodded. "Yes. Exactly like me and Cynder."

"But Spyro, she loves you!" Candice protested. "That's why you two work so well together!" She shot Tremor a glare out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not in love with this jerk! And I never will be! So we won't have the same type of connection the two of you have. Even if it did take a million years."

"For once I agree." Tremor curled his lip at the dragoness.

"It wasn't always like that you know." Spyro sighed. "Class dismissed."

Stella and Gaia looked hurt as their classmates walked back to them. The two looked at each other and nodded. Stella walked with Candice down one hall and Gaia joined her brother as usual.

"Rough day with the kids Spyro?" Sparx snickered.

"Not now Sparx." He suddenly felt drained. "I just hope those two can get over their little rivalry to become outstanding guardians."

"Meh." Sparx shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen."

"Boy, you really laced into her that time Tremor." Gaia said as she walked beside her twin.

"Yeah." Tremor nodded with a smirk. "But I think she liked it."

"I simply cannot stand that jerk!" Candice fumed to Stella.

"I don't know why you let him get to you Candice." Stella tried to keep from laughing too much. Tremor and Candice's relationship had always amused her. "He's just trying to get under your scales."

"Well, it's working!" Candice hissed out more frost.

"I just can't stand her!" Tremor continued. "She's always agreeing with Spyro and the other guardians! She's such a suck-up!"

"Just because you like to agree with everything the guardians say, doesn't mean it always makes sense to Tremor." Stella shrugged. "Maybe he's just trying to suggest another opinion."

"Well, I can't stand when he does that!" Candice's tail lashed at the air angrily. "Why can't he just take their word for it since they've been around longer and have more experience than him to begin with."

"Oh come on Tremor." Gaia nudged her brother slightly. "Candice isn't that bad."

"I beg to differ." Tremor huffed.

"No really." Gaia stepped in front of her twin, stopping him in his tracks. "She can be a really sweet dragon if you just give her the time."

Tremor stared at his sister for a hard moment. "What did you just say?"

"I said, she's a really sweet dragon. You just need to give her a chance."

A smile spread across Tremor's mouth. "You know, sis. You may be right. Candice, probably is really sweet. I should go tell her that right now, huh."

Gaia was a little surprised by his change of mood but shrugged and smiled. "No time like the present."

"Thanks sis. I'll catch up to you later." He turned and ran back down the hall.

"Why couldn't Tremor be more like his sister. She studies hard and does really well in every training exercise and drill."

Stella shrugged. "I think those two balance each other out just fine."

"How can you say that when Tremor is such an jerk about..."

At that moment Tremor caught up to the two girls.

"Hey! Uh, Candy!" He called down the hall.

Candice froze and her eyes locked on Stella. The pale yellow dragoness looked from Tremor to her friend, nervously. She could feel what was about to come.

"What...did he just call me?"

"I...think...He called you..." Stella swallowed hard.

"Candy! Baby! Sweetheart!" Tremor hollered with a big grin on his face.

Gaia strolled down the halls. Despite missing her training she was glad to be able to relax for the afternoon. She was lost in thought when something caught her eye. She turned and looked out across the city. After couple minutes she was about to turn back when she saw another glint in the afternoon sun. The dragoness squinted closer and noticed several tiny white objects floating to the ground below.

"Snow?" The sun reflected off the surface of the snowflakes, making a very pretty afternoon show.

Gaia climbed onto the railing and leaped into the air. She lifted up to where she could clearly see the particles of ice blowing away from the city tower. The entire hallway was shrouded in ice; and there frozen stiff in the middle of it was Tremor.

"Or...maybe not." Gaia rolled her eyes as she set down on the frozen railing.

Her brother shivered with a clattering grin. "It w-w-was worth it." He tried to chuckle but the chatter of his teeth made it barely audible.

Gaia just shook her head. "You would think that being your twin sister would mean that I would have known better."

"J-j-just g-get me out of h-ere." Tremor pleaded.

His sister sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice. You won't learn your lesson either way."

"N-n-nope."


	4. Chapter 3

"Come on, it's over here!" The two black dragons soared over the peaks.

"Niner, what are you playing this time?" His childhood friend Blaze was the same age as him.

"You'll see. Trust me." Niner called back over his shoulder.

"We're not gunna get in trouble again are we? I just off of being grounded last week."

"It's just something you need to see." Niner replied. "We shouldn't get into any trouble at all."

Blaze just rolled his eyes. "Yeah I've heard that one before."

"Just come on!" Niner snapped. The two dragons had always gotten into mischief when they were younger but these days, his friend seemed more reserved. "We're getting close!" Niner pointed ahead where a hole had been blown clean through one of the mountains.

"What the hell could have done that?" Blaze raised a brow as he followed his friend into a dive.

"It's just up ahead." Niner came to land in front of a cave.

"In there?" Blaze swallowed hard. He had a slight fear of closed in areas where he couldn't spread his wings.

"It's only a few yards in." Niner assured him and disappeared into the darkness. Blaze stuck his head in and instantly felt a chill run down his spine. Already, he was getting a dreadful feeling about the cave. More than he normally would have. "Hurry up!" Niner's voice echoed from inside.

"Um...I'll just wait out here for you." Blaze called back and sat down.

"Fine, whatever." Niner grumbled to himself as he marched deeper into the tunnel. It was one of the few times he was glad he was a black dragon, since they possessed the ability to see in the darkness.

At last he spotted a glow up ahead. The black dragon rounded the corner and squinted at the bright light. Laying there, in the middle of the chamber was a crystal, nearly the size of an adult dragon. It glowed a deep red-violet and the aura seemed to pulse as he drew closer.

"Wow." Niner gasped. "You don't see crystals like these every day." He reached out and touched his paw to it. The aura brightened and a hum buzzed throughout the cavern.

Suddenly Niner felt a shock rush through him and a stabbing, burning pain in his head. He let out a cry and crumbled to the ground. The pain continued and his body began to burn. Niner coughed out black fire and the flames swirled around his body. The crystal pulsed quicker as the unknown entity invaded the teenage black dragon's mind. There was a piercing crack as the crystal brightened then shattered.

Outside, Blaze heard his friend scream in pain.

"Niner?" He jumped to his feet and peered into the darkness. "Niner!" He called desperately. When his friend didn't answer he cautiously took a step forward. Just then there was a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass. The dragon jumped back and bared his teeth. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching and he backed up cautiously. The steps grew louder and Blaze swallowed hard.

Just then Niner emerged from the cave. Blaze sighed in relief.

"Niner, damn it! You scared the crap out of me!" Blaze shook his head angrily and snorted a couple puffs of smoke from his nose.

It was then he noticed the black flames surrounding his friend's body.

"Niner? What's going on with you?" The darkness of the cave seemed to leak out and form the dark flames around his friend. Blaze watched as the flames seemed to shroud Niner from view.

Niner began to laugh. Not his usual joking laugh, but a very sinister and evil sound rumbled from his throat. The sound seemed to carry into the aura as it manifested into the shape of a dragon that towered over both teenagers.

Blaze's eyes widened at the sight before him.

"N-Niner?" He stammered and stepped back. The aura was creeping towards him, threatening to grab him up a well.

"You can save your breath young dragon." The manifested dragon growled. "Your friend is no more. His body is mine to control, and there's nothing you can do anymore to save him."

Blaze trembled in fear and his heart threatened to burst from his chest.

"No! That can't be!" He shook his head desperately and looked at his friend's glowing purple eyes. "Niner! Snap out of it!" He cried and lunged for his friend. Niner side-stepped Blaze's swipe and struck him in the chest. The force sent Blaze flying back into a pile of rocks. The impact shattered the rocks and stunned the young dragon.

Blaze's eyes grew wide. "W-when...did Niner get that strong?" He wheezed. He cried out in pain and coughed hard. When he opened his eyes, the ground was covered in his blood and breakfast. Blaze looked at Niner as he approached him, the aura slowly surrounding them both. "Niner..." Blaze choked. "Snap out of it buddy. This isn't you."

Niner just stared down at him. The manifested dragon laughed and Niner, laughed in unison.

"Niner..." Blaze reached out to his friend. The black dragon opened his mouth wide and unleashed a wave of dark fire. Blaze's eyes grew wide and his scream echoed throughout mountains.

Spyro awoke with a shudder and a loud gasp. The sudden movement caused Cynder to wake up as well. She looked up at Spyro who was panting heavily.

"Spyro, is everything okay?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Spyro answered plainly.

"Are you sure?" Cynder pressed, knowing fully well what Spyro may have been dreaming about.

"I'm, okay. Really." He assured her. "Just a chill, I guess."

"Okay." Cynder sighed, not fully believing him. "But if you ever need me to talk to..."

Spyro smiled and lay back down beside her. "Thanks Cynder." He sighed and nuzzled her cheek. The black dragoness smiled softly and draped her wing over him. Spyro waited until she was fast asleep again before letting out another sigh.

"That feeling..." He pondered to himself. "What was it?"


	5. Chapter 4

Snarl stared around the burning village. The attack had been swifter than he had expected. Several yards away he spotted a survivor lying on the ground, struggling to drag his wounded body towards the edge of the village. The wolf stalked up to the wounded warrior and bared his fangs. With a vicious thrust, he plunged his crude blade into the warrior's back. There was a loud grunt before the warrior fell dead at last.

"I suppose that makes seventy-four." Another wolf walked up to him. The barbarians stared down at the body. "Not bad for a surprise attack."

Snarl snorted. "There will be more blood for us to come. From what I understand, our Alpha has been planning several plans of attack on our enemies."

"Sounds like it should be fun." The other wolf smiled, showing his fangs in the moonlight. "I hope it's soon. These pathetic fools were barely enough to wet the appetite."

"I'm glad you feel that way." A voice responded. Both canine's jumped in surprise and whirled around.

"Who goes there!" Snarl held his blade out towards the darkness of the enchanted forest. Both wolves were surprised to see a young dragon step out of the shadows.

"Well, what have we here?" Snarl's pack-mate snickered. "A little hatchling of a dragon in the middle of nowhere all by himself."

"I'm far from nowhere." The young black dragon sneered. "And I would watch it if I were you, you mangy mongrel."

"Why you little insolent bastard..." The wolves both bared their fangs.

"Look I'm not here to pick a fight with you. I have to talk to your leader."

The wolves laughed. "Talk to our leader? I don't think any dragon is stupid enough to request such a foolish thing." The second wolf mocked. The black dragon frowned. "You only get to see our leader if you can get through me first."

The dragon smiled. "Okay." In a blur of motion, the dragon spun around. The wolf jolted and its eyes widened.

"But, how..." He gasped. He let out a howl as blood burst from his mouth and his midsection . The two halves of the wolf fell to the ground and the light died from the beast's eyes.

Snarl was dumbfounded. He stood in a state of shock as the blood from his pack-mate seeped into the ground. A deep hatred swelled up within him and he turned towards the dragon. By now more wolves were appearing on the scene. They looked from their dead companion to the young dragon standing over him and they bared their fangs furiously.

The dragon scowled at them as several started towards him. "Don't make the same mistake your friend did. I can just as easily do away with you lot." The wolves were about to ignore his words when they froze in their tracks. The darkness of the forest seemed to creep out and surround the dragon. The wolves yellow eyes grew wide with fear as the shadows manifested into a ferocious towering dragon. "Now I'll say it again. Take me to your leader, or suffer a much more horrible fate than your friend."

The wolves all looked at each other, unsure of what to do. The dark dragon scowled. "Do it!" Snarl turned his head towards his pack. "Inform the Alpha that there is a visitor for him."

"I'm glad to see someone in this pack has a brain in their head." The young dragon stepped from the darkness and the manifested dragon faded away. "But that won't be necessary. He is already expecting me. I just need you to take me to him."

Snarl glared at the dragon in disgust. The smug confidence the dragon exhibited was very irritating to him. The wolf curled his lip slightly and motioned for the dragon to follow him.

Spyro stared into the pool of visions. He had been sitting in the chamber for a couple of hours now, unable to see anything. This frustrated him. He was usually able to see things fairly quickly when he concentrated, but lately his mind had been plagued with unstable thoughts and emotions.

"Damn it!" Spyro cursed. "Why isn't this working!" He splashed the water, disturbing the surface and getting himself wet in the process. The cold water against his face brought him back to his senses. He sat down on his haunches and hung his head low. "Why isn't it working?"

"Spyro?" He heard a voice from down the hall. He looked up to see Sparx and Cynder round the corner.

"There you are buddy." Sparx flew over and paused when he was close enough to see how wet his brother was. "Whoa, did you fall in the pool or something?"

Spyro just stared at him blankly as Cynder walked up. "Spyro, what's wrong? I've been wondering where you were."

"I'm sorry." Spyro turned away from her. "I've been trying to see anything in the pool of visions, but it hasn't worked out. I haven't been able to see anything for hours."

"Doesn't that mean it's a good thing when you can't find anything?" Sparx crossed his arms and looked towards the pool. The surface was still slightly disturbed from the splash.

"Spyro, what's on your mind?" Cynder moved to face him. "You haven't been the same since you woke up from that nightmare a couple weeks ago. And I'm worried about you."

Spyro looked into her bright sapphire eyes. "I just have this bad feeling that something is going to happen. And soon." He turned back to the pool and looked into it. "I'm not sure what, so I was trying to find out from the pool of visions."

"What do you think it is?" Cynder asked as she walked up beside him.

"I don't know." Spyro shook his head. "But the feeling I got from that nightmare was the same sense of fear I felt when we faced the Dark Master."

"The Dark Master?" Cynder and Sparx gasped together.

"I thought he was gone." Sparx protested. "Please don't tell me you guys didn't finish the job and that he's still alive."

"Sparx, I can't explain what exactly it is that I feel." Spyro looked up at him, begging him to understand. "It almost feels like the him, but not entirely. Like it's different somehow."

"Spyro." Cynder moved closer to him and forced him to look her in the eyes. "We've beaten the Dark Master. He was the most powerful foe we have ever faced. If he has survived somehow, then we can do it again." Spyro blinked a couple times. Her serious tone seemed to calm him down. "We have allies, more than ever before. And we have gotten stronger ourselves." She leaned in and pressed her lips to Spyro's. Sparx stuck his tongue out in revulsion and turned away. After a long moment Cynder broke away. "We'll protect our home together. Just like we always have."

Spyro sighed. Not out of fatigue or sadness, but relief. "You're right Cynder. Thank you." He leaned in and stroked her cheek with his tongue. Cynder giggled and bumped his snout with her nose.

"Okay, you two, should I just go?" Sparx demanded, peeking from between his fingers. Both dragons smiled at each other, blushing.

"Spyro! Cynder!" Tremor's voice came echoing down the halls. Both dragons jerked towards the sound of his voice. "Spyro! Cynder!" The earth dragon came sprinting around the corner with his twin sister beside him. "There you are!" He gasped and skidded to a stop before them.

"Tremor? What's going on?" Spyro asked, his heart rate beginning to rise.

"We've got a problem." He panted heavily. "There's some warriors down at the main gate. They say that they need to speak to you right away."

Spyro and Cynder looked at each other nervously.

Sparx shook his head. "Spyro, have I ever told you how much I hate it when you get your feelings?"

The moles rushed to the main gate. The guards opened the doors, allowing the refugees to enter the city. There were gasps of shock and horror as the cheetah tribe staggered in. The women and children were shaken and most of them crying and making a fuss. The warriors limped on wounded limbs or cradled their various injuries.

Spyro and Cynder glided down to the ground and their jaws dropped. Bodies were being carried by those fit enough to do so, most of them being the women or younger males.

"This is horrible!" Cynder choked as she watched the healers rush to try and tend to the wounded.

"Hey!" Spyro and Cynder both turned to see Flame and Ember bounding up towards them. "What's going on?" The young guardian asked as they looked on in shock.

"I don't know." Spyro looked back. "Let's go see if we can find anything out." The purple dragon started forward with his friends close behind. They made sure to stay out of the way of the healers. "Sparx." Spyro turned to his brother. "See if you can find Hunter. I'm sure he's here somewhere."

"No problem buddy." The dragonfly saluted and zipped off.

"Ember." Spyro turned to the pink dragoness, much to everyone's surprise. "See what you can do to help the healers treat the wounded. They're going to need it."

"Uh, right." The dragoness nodded and dashed over to a trio of mole healers tending to an unconscious warrior.

"Flame."

"Yes sir!" The guardian stood at attention with his chest puffed out. He was ready to help in any way he could.

"Gather the other guardians and the candidates. We need everyone down here ASAP."

"You got it Spyro!" Flame shot into the air with a burst of fire and took off towards the main temple.

"What should I do Spyro?" Cynder asked, ready to do her part.

"Cynder, I want you to..."

"Spyro!" Sparx called. The two dragons turned to see the dragonfly hurrying towards them. "I didn't see Hunter, but I did find someone who may be able to help out." A red-furred cheetah staggered from the crowd of mourning felines.

"Meadow!" Cynder gasped when she saw his injuries. He had a slash across one brow, causing the blood to trickle into his eye. His cheek had a long gash across it and he clutched at another slash mark on his right arm.

"It is good to see you Spyro and Cynder." The healer smiled through his good eye. "I only wish it were under better circumstances."

"That goes without saying." Sparx rolled his eyes.

"Sparx." Spyro gave his brother a look. "I need you to go around and ask what needs to be done. I have a feeling, it's going to be a busy day."

"Alright." Sparx nodded. "Leave it to the dragonfly to be the messenger."

"What happened Meadow?" Spyro asked when his brother had gone.

The cheetah shook his head. "Oh, it was all a blur. Everything happened so fast." The cheetah swayed on his feet. Cynder saw him begin to topple over and caught him with a gust of wind. The healer stabilized himself and knelt down before the dragons. "Our village was attacked out of nowhere. We were barely able to make out alive, for those who were able to."

"Who attacked you!" Spyro pressed taking a step forward. "Was it the Dark Master?"

"Spyro!" Cynder snapped. The purple dragon paused and stepped back.

"No." Meadow, shook his head. "It was the Wolf tribe of the north."

"Wolves?" Spyro cocked his head to the side. This was not the answer he was expecting and it had thrown him off a bit.

"Spyro, we can question him later." Cynder brushed herself against Spyro's side. "I think for now we need to help his people out."

"Right." Spyro gasped, his head suddenly felt light. "Get Ember. She can heal Meadow and he should be able to help the others as well."

"Spyro?" Cynder squinted at him. His eyes seemed to be moving in different directions, as if they couldn't focus on any one spot. "Spyro?" The purple dragon turned to go help the refugees. "Spyro!" Cynder called more forcefully but Spyro couldn't hear her. He took one step before his legs buckled underneath him. Spyro watched as his world turned on its side and slammed against the ground. There was a muffled cry and he saw a pair of black talons step in front of him. He could just barely make out Cynder's face before his vision blurred, then faded to black.


	6. Chapter 5

Snarl led the black dragon back to the edge of the burned village. The other warriors of his pack followed at a distance, never taking their eyes off the dragon. At last they arrived at the edge of the village. Several of the wolves had been stationed at the edge of the forest to prevent any of the villagers from escaping.

"Alpha!" Snarl knelt down and bowed. "I have brought your guest whom you have been expecting."

From the darkness came an old grey wolf. His long bane was tied into long, beaded strands that clicked together as he moved. He was covered in scars from past fights and the blood of the warriors of the village. Snarl looked up and his yellow eyes widened. The darkness of the forest shrouded his pack's leader the same way it had with the dragon.

"Thank you." The black dragon stepped past the wolf and stood before the Alpha leader and stared into his glowing purple eyes. The darkness around both creatures swirled into a whirlwind of black fire. The wolves all shrank back and pinned their ears to their heads. Their grip on their weapons tightened should their leader require assistance.

All at once two dragons manifested from the dark aura. Snarl's eyes jerked from one to the other; both looked identical to the other.

"Now, join me." The dragon said with a smile. The Alpha growled and knelt to one knee. The beast began to glow with electrical energy. The wolves all shielded their eyes as the light grew brighter. As the light began to die down there was a loud snap from the trees behind the group of canines. The warriors turned to see a shadow standing before them. The figure froze for a split second then took off.

"After him!" Snarl growled. "Don't let him get away!"

The wolves barked and snarled at each other as they scrambled after their prey. Snarl turned back to the dragon and the Alpha to see only the dragon stood there with the cloud of darkness floating at his feet.

"Alpha?" Snarl looked around frantically trying to find a trace of his pack's leader.

"Your Alpha is part of me now." The dragon replied and turned to face him with brilliant. glowing purple eyes.

"What!" Snarl raised his sword, ready to attack the teenage dragon.

"Stand down!" The dragon ordered. Much to Snarl's own surprise he froze. "I am now deeming you the new Alpha of your pack." The wolf's ears perked up at that. "Your leader stumbled upon my broken spirit." The dragon's aura subsided. "There are still many pieces on my spirit scattered throughout this world. I need you and your people to help me gather the broken remains."

Snarl narrowed his yellow eyes at the dragon. "Why should we help you dragon? Your kind has always held yourselves above all others, so why ask us for our help now?"

"Because." The dragon's aura manifested into the large dragon again. "I know how your kind feels about mine. I feel the dragons of this world need to be exterminated for what they have done to me."

Snarl held his nose up and curled his lips, revealing his yellow fangs. "What's in it for me and my pack?"

The manifested dragon smiled. "I can give you anything your hearts desire." His eyes locked with Snarl's. "And judging by what I see in you, power is what you crave the most." Snarl's eyes turned to slits. "If you so desire, I can make you not only my leading general, but my immediate second in command." When Snarl did not answer, the dragon continued. "I will give you the power your kind is legendary for to use freely whenever you so wish."

A grin spread across Snarl's mouth. "That's a good start dragon. But what about right now? You just killed one of my brothers in cold blood. How will you make up for that? My kind don't take lightly to having our kin slaughtered."

The dragon narrowed his eyes and peered into the wolf's mind. The darkness had already manifested within the beast and the dragon used it to his advantage. "It was not me who took your friend's life. I meant him no harm. He left me no choice right from the beginning." Snarl looked down at the ground and clenched his fist so tight around his weapon that the handle shattered causing splinters to puncture his skin. "But if you insist on taking revenge for your dead comrade, how about you exact your revenge on the ones who cause all your misfortunes." Snarl looked up at the dragon. "For starters..." The dragon pressed a claw to his chin, pretending to think. "How about I give you the lives of an entire dragon city."

Snarl's eyes grew wide. "An entire city?" He gasped.

"Yes indeed." The dragon leaned in close to Snarl and the wolf could feel the chill of the dragon's dark aura. "Not just a village or a town. But a city! Hundreds of dragons will tremble in fear before you and your kind. And, should you choose, you can crush them all beneath your wake."

Snarl's grin could have split his head in two. "That's more like it."

"I though you would." The dragon nodded, seeing the darkness within the wolf's soul spread throughout his body. He gave an evil grin. "My only request, is that you bring any black dragons to me."

"I suppose if I have to." Snarl frowned at the idea of having to spare any dragons from his impending wrath. "Speaking of dragons, who are you?"

The manifested dragon gave a sinister smile. "In my past life I was called Malefor. My host here is known as Niner." He looked down at the black dragon below him. "But you may refer to me as the Dark Master."

Unbeknownst to either of them, a pair of piercing eyes watched from the cover of the tree branches just outside the light of the burning village. The falcon blinked a couple times before gliding off into the night, not even so much as making a sound.


	7. Chapter 6

Spyro's head spun wildly. He groaned and gritted his teeth, trying to stop the dizzying sensation. His stomach churned and he clenched his teeth, not wanting to hurl.

"Spyro." A whisper called out from the darkness.

"Uh? C-Cynder?"

"Yeah. It's me." The dragoness whispered.

"Where are you? I can't see you?" Spyro called out, his head rocking from the nausea.

"I'm right here Spyro."

"Where?" Spyro called desperately.

"Spyro, you'll see me when you open your eyes."

"My eyes are open Cynder." Spyro looked around in the darkness. "I can't see you, it's too dark.

"Spyro, your eyes are closed. You need to wake up."

"But I am!" Spyro protested. "I can't see you!"

"I think he's finally lost it." Sparx's voice jumped in. Spyro felt a tight pinch and suddenly there was nothing but white. The dragonfly held the purple dragon's eyes open, letting the daylight shine in. Spyro was in shock for a long moment. At last he jerked his head away and his eyelids snapped shut causing his eyes to tear up.

"You see." Sparx gestured to his brother as he blinked himself awake. "Much more effective than having him talk in his sleep.

"What...What happened?" Spyro asked as he looked around. He was in his room on top of his pillow pile. Scattered throughout the room were his dragon friends, each on their own pillows fast asleep. "What's going on?"

"We were hoping you could tell us." Sparx crossed his arms.

"You passed out." Cynder replied softly after she set a bucket of cool water down in front of Spyro. "It was just so sudden. I didn't know what to think."

"I can tell you this much." Sparx pointed a stern finger at Spyro. "When he starts passing out for no reason, I would be worried. He hasn't done that though since you ran away after he saved you."

Cynder looked from the dragonfly to Spyro. "Is that true Spyro?"

"Well, yeah." Spyro hung his head, ashamed of having made her worry about him. "But that was different. Back then was when I being guided by the Chronicler. But this time..." He looked up into Cynder's eyes. "All I saw was darkness."

"It sounds like it." Sparx nodded.

"What's with all the noise?" Tremor groaned as he lifted his head off of his sister. It was then he noticed Spyro sitting up. "Spyro, you're awake." He yawned. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Spyro lied. "Just a little confused right now."

"Well. you've been out for two days." The earth candidate stretched himself out letting his joints pop.

"Two days!" Spyro gasped and jumped to his feet. He immediately felt his head rock and was about to topple over when Cynder caught him.

"Easy Spyro." She warned. "You should rest a little more before you go moving around too much."

"Excuse me." A voice grabbed the attention of the dragons. The ones who were asleep raised their heads to stare sleepily at the mole standing in the doorway. "The guardians have requested your presence in the main temple."

"Everyone?" Cynder asked as she glanced over at Spyro who was attempting to stand upright on his own.

"If possible." The mole gave a slight bob of his head. "It appears that your friend Hunter has returned."

"Hunter's back?" Cynder gasped.

"He wasn't with the refugees?" Spyro asked.

"No. We couldn't find him anywhere." Cynder replied.

"Then we should go see him. Make sure he's all right."

"Spyro, I think you should stay here and rest." Cynder suggested with a worried tone. "We can report Hunter's findings to you when we get back."

"No, I'll be fine." Spyro insisted. "I promise Cynder." The black dragoness stared hard into his purple eyes. After a moment she nodded.

"Okay then Spyro." She agreed reluctantly. "But if you start to feel sick again it's right back to bed with you. Understood?"

"I promise." Spyro nodded.

As Cynder helped Spyro outside the purple dragon took in a deep breath. The day was overcast and the cooling vapor made the spinning of his head subside. As the candidates filed out of his room Spyro took in a deep breath. With a sudden leap he was in the air.

"Hey Spyro, not so fast!" Cynder called and quickly took after him.

"Hey wait for me!" Sparx called and zipped after them.

"What about the rest of us!" Tremor shouted and took flight with the other candidates close behind.

The cool morning air was doing Spyro more good than he had expected. Beat his wings hard, working the soreness from his joints. In a matter of minutes the young dragons arrived at the main temple. When the dragons touched down on the main platform, they found the guardians already there with Hunter. The cheetah looked in their direction and smiled.

"Spyro. It is good to see you are doing well." He gave a slight bob of his head as the dragons approached them.

"More or less." Cynder pointed out. "We couldn't find you when your tribe arrived a couple days ago."

"Yes. I had stayed behind." The feline nodded. "I was attempting to discover what the wolves who attacked our village were trying to gain."

"What did you find out?" Spyro asked, his muscles already tensing up slightly.

"From what I heard their leader was ordering them to attack the tribes native to this land. For what reason, it is unclear at this point." Suddenly Hunter growled and staggered forward.

"Hunter! What's wrong!" Spyro reared up on his hind legs and caught his friend before he could hit the floor. It was then that Spyro noticed the cheetah's arm was still bleeding from three lacerations and his entire right side of his tunic was drenched in blood.

"It's just a scratch." Hunter waved the dragon off as he forced himself to stand upright. "Before I was discovered I saw the wolves talking to a dragon."

"The wolves talking to a dragon?" Volteer tilted his head skeptically. "I would have never heard of such a thing. The wolves have never been fond of us to begin with so why would they attempt to make relationships now?"

"I'm not certain." Hunter shook his head.

"What did this dragon look like?" Spyro asked taking a step forward. Cynder turned her head slightly but didn't say anything.

"It was a black dragon." Hunter raised an assuring hand. Spyro breathed a sigh of relief. "However, it exhibited a power unlike any I have ever seen before. It seemed to use the darkness of the world around it as a weapon."

Spyro felt a chill run down his spine. It didn't sound like the Dark Master but at the same time it seemed all too familiar.

Just then there was a loud screech. The dragons turned to see a falcon coming in fast from a dive. The candidates ducked as the raptor shot over their heads and across the room. The falcon banked hard and flew in quick circles over the guardians heads, squawking and making a raucous.

"Calm down!" Hunter ordered. The falcon shot up in front of the cheetah and landed on his good arm. "Now, calmly. Tell me what you saw." The falcon proceeded to go about squawking and flapping its wings frantically.

"What's he saying?" Tremor whispered. When he didn't receive and answer he turned to see he had been standing next to Candice. The ice dragoness glared at him out of the corner of her eye before turning her attention away from him. "What's he saying?" He asked Hunter.

The cheetah whirled to face the guardians. "The wolves are planning another attack! Their target is the dragon city due east of my people's village.

Flame, Tremor and Gaia all gasped and looked at each other with horror in their eyes. "Home!" They shouted.

Terrador took two lumbering steps towards the young dragons. "Spyro, I want you and Cynder to go help our brothers defend their city. Whatever the wolves are up to we need to put an end to it right now."

"I'm going too!" Flame stepped forward. "I know I'm a guardian now, but that is my home and I have a responsibility to protect it."

"Same here!" Tremor nodded. His sister stepped up beside him, just as determined.

Terrador looked at the other guardians who nodded in agreement. "Very well. I want you young ones to be careful. You don't know how dangerous wolves can be."

"We'll be there to help them too." Candice piped up.

"Yeah." Stella slapped the floor with her tail. "It may not be our home, but we help our friends when they need it!"

"Then let's not waste any more time." Tremor spun around and took of towards the edge of the platform. "Let's go!" He sprang into the air and shot down into a dive. Spyro and Cynder followed on his tail while the others followed close behind.

When they were gone the falcon began to squawk again.

"There's more?" Hunter raised a brow.

The bird continued its fit of noise and the cheetah's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no!"


	8. Chapter 7

The dragons shot over the ground like missiles. They had flown all day and throughout the night. Spyro, Cynder, Tremor and Flame helped carry their friends when they needed to rest or sleep which slowed their pace. But Tremor and Flame's determination pressed them onward.

"Tremor, take it easy." Flame called. The earth dragon had pushed on ahead, carrying his twin on his back. Flame carried Ember and Cynder carried Candice while Spyro was left with Stella.

"We need to get home Flame!" The earth dragon called back. "Our home is in danger and we need to get there as quickly as possible!"

"I know that." Flame hollered over the wind. "But we need to be able to fight when we get there. We're already running on fumes right now."

"You're both right." Spyro jumped in before Tremor could come up with a rebuttal. "But let's focus on getting there first and finding out the situation."

Flame and Tremor both stared at each other before nodding in agreement.

Two hours later the sun began to rise. Flame yawned as he began to fall back from the other dragons.

"Flame, keep up!" Tremor called.

"I'm coming!" The guardian jerked himself awake and fluttered his wings. The movement woke Ember and she yawned greatly.

"Morning sunshine." Flame smiled back at her.

"Good morning hot stuff." Ember giggled and licked his cheek. It was then that she looked up ahead and her expression darkened. "Oh no." Flame turned back to the horizon and his smile disappeared.

Off in the distance they could see large plumes of smoke rising into the early morning sky. Spyro's eyes narrowed as they drew closer. By now their sleeping companions were awake and flying on their own, allowing their carriers to increase their speed.

"Are we too late?" Cynder called.

"I don't know yet." Tremor called back. The glare is interfering with my vision.

"Everyone follow me!" Spyro called. He climbed higher into the air and turned to his brother who was just waking up on his shoulder. "Sparx, we need you to fly on ahead and give a quick assessment of the situation. If there's danger signal three times. If not then just twice."

"You can count on it." The dragonfly pushed off and zipped on ahead.

"What's your plan Spyro?" Cynder asked as she rose up next to him. The group of dragons hovered in the air, eagerly searching for Sparx's signal.

"Listen up!" Spyro called Without turning around. "I want Candice up front with me. Cynder and Stella you two take the wing formation. Flame and Ember, you will lead wave two. Tremor and Gaia, you bring up the rear."

"Right!" The dragons all chimed in unison.

"Let's go!" Spyro shouted and dove towards the flames ahead. As the formation drew closer Spyro spotted Sparx flying back towards them. He was flashing signals wildly as a swarm of ravens were in hot pursuit. "Sparx!" Spyro cried and beat his wings faster. Candice and the others pushed to keep up.

The dragonfly ducked as a raven's beak snapped at the air where he had been only a split second before. Another one of the birds squawked loudly as it rushed in with its beak wide open. Sparx flinched as he prepared to meet his end. Just before the bird could deliver it's killing bite a bolt of electricity shot past Sparx and the raven exploded. Sparx opened his eyes as several more bolts shot past him and struck their intended targets.

"Gotcha!" Spyro gasped as he snatched his broth up in his claws safely.

"Cutting it a little closer than I like there Spyro." The dragonfly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It could have been worse." Spyro smiled down at him before turning to the candidates. "Get ready!" He led the formation into a dive as they neared the flames. They could see clearer now that the sun was finally up.

"Dear god." Candice gasped almost unheard by the others. Charging across the ground were hundreds of wolves. The beasts rushed forward on their hind legs wielding crudely constructed weapons and unleashing maelstroms or ice and electrical energy from their fur and mouths.

The entrance to the city was dug into the ground. Smoke billowed up from the destroyed main gate and into the morning sky. The wolves pushed forward, being careful to staying clear of any stray shots coming at them from the dragons beyond the smoke.

Spyro's formation soared over the ground, barely so much as beating their wings every hundred yards. When they were close enough Spyro unleashed a blast of ice and Candice followed his lead almost at the same moment. The wolves taking cover to the rear were instantly covered in ice and frozen in place.

As Spyro and Candice continued with a steady stream of ice, Cynder and Stella opened their mouths as wide as they could. Stella hissed and several chains of lightning sprayed across the barbaric forces surrounding them. Cynder's eyes flashed red and she unleashed a scream. The frozen wolves shattered in to dust while the other members of the pack howled in pain and clutched at their bleeding ears.

Flame and Ember followed up with a combination of Ember's sparkler-fireballs and Flame's explosive blasts of fire breath. The invaders that Stella had stunned were either burned where they stood or left scrambling across the ground trying to put their blazing fur out.

Finally, as Tremor and Gaia brought up the rear, they spat earth bullets from their mouths. The orbs of energy spattered across the ground not hitting many of their intended targets. As the two earth dragons flew by the ground erupted in explosions of dirt and rock, sending wolves weapons and body parts flying. The wave of earth followed the formation and died down as they reached the entrance to the city.

Spyro barely had time to dodge a bolt of electricity as the dragons entered into the cloud of smoke.

"Watch yourselves!" He coughed. The smoke was think and smelled of burning wood and flesh. The dragons rushed forward with greater speed, trying to get clear of the suffocating vapor without getting hit by the random elements flying at them.

After what seemed like an eternity they broke through the cloud of smoke and into the underground city.

"Cynder!" Spyro gagged. "Do something about this smoke."

"Just leave it to me." The black dragoness nodded. She turned back towards the immense wall of smoke billowing up from the cave floor.

"Candice, Tremor and Gaia." The three candidates all formed up on him trying to keep from gagging too much. "We're going to put out the fires anywhere we see them. And Flame..." Spyro turned to the fire breather. "You take Ember and Stella and find your grandfather or whomever is in charge."

"I'm all over it!" Flame spun on a dime and took off towards the inner walls of the city with the two females trying to keep up.

Spyro and the other felt the wind pull at their backs. The four of them landed and watched as Cynder formed a tornado within the cave entrance. As the whirlwind sucked up the black smoke Spyro and the others ran forward to put out the fires. When the last Embers were put out Cynder's tornado died away. She landed on the ground and staggered forward into Spyro's chest.

"Cynder, are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah I'm fine." The dragoness assured him. "I haven't done that in a long time so I'm a little dizzy."

"Okay, just lay down for now." Spyro helped her settle down onto the floor of the cave.

Meanwhile, Tremor moved towards the cave entrance, searching for any more of the invading pack. He spent several minutes scanning the area with his eyes and his earth senses.

"It feels like they've all fled. "Gaia said as she walked up beside him.

"Sure seems that way." Tremor nodded.

"You worried they'll come back?" Gaia studied her brother's stern stare.

"I'm just wondering how long until they come back." Tremor faced her and his eyes seemed to darken.

"I don't think we'll need to worry for at least a little while." Gaia nuzzled him. "We need our rest as it is anyways.

Spyro watched as the two earth dragons stood guard over the city's demolished main gate. It was then he turned to Cynder to find her with her eyes closed at his feet. He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. The dragoness smiled in her sleep and cooed softly.

"How are you doing?" Spyro turned towards Candice.

"Me? I'm fine." Candice jerked in surprise at being addressed and tried to hide her flushed cheeks.

"Spyro!" Flame called. He came bounding over to them with Stella followed by his grandfather Infernus and a small group of various dragons.

"Where's Ember?" Flame asked.

"She's helping care for the wounded." Flame jerked his head back towards the city. "It looks like there are quite a few."

"Young dragons it is good to see you all." Infernus bowed graciously before the guardians. "And we are forever thankful for your assistance in helping save our city." He turned to look over his shoulder. "It may not be much but it is our home after all."

"We understand." Spyro smiled. "It was Flame, Tremor and Gaia who insisted that we come so quickly."

Infernus looked down at his grandson who smiled back up at him before turning his gaze ahead towards the twins. "Well we are deeply thankful to all of you none the less." Then he looked back down at Spyro with a curious expression. "But how did you discover we were under attack. The wolves only showed up two nights ago."

"The wolves attacked the cheetah tribe's village not too long ago." Flame answered with a hint of distaste in his voice. "The refugees fled to Warfang and are taking shelter there right now."

"It wasn't until yesterday that one of their falcons returned with news of the attack on the city." Spyro interrupted. "We thought we'd get here in time to warn you." He looked around sadly. All around dragons rushed to help move debris or usher the wounded to shelter.

"But it looks like we were too late." Candice hung her head.

"Oh come now young dragons." Infernus tilted her chin up with a large claw. "If you had not shown up when you did, we would have suffered far more casualties at the hands of those barbaric beasts."

"They've been pressing constantly since their first strike." A massive earth dragon stepped forward and thrust his head towards the hole in the main splintered main gate. "Even our strongest warriors were having a tough time dealing away with them."

"Yes." Infernus agreed. "It seems that the wolves have gotten far stronger than we ever thought they could. Though we never paid them much mind to begin with since they do not care for us dragons."

"What do you mean grandpa?" Flame and Spyro exchanged glances.

"The wolf tribes are known to be strong and brutal fighters. But their true strength awakens when they emerge under the light of the full moons. They become raging, blood-lusting monsters that nearly match the power of us dragons. We have not had the opportunity to see, but judging by the ferocity they exhibited, we believe there may have been a full moon when they decided to attack."

"Wait, that can't be." Spyro shook his head. "Flame, were the moons full last night?"

Flame pressed his lips together tight as he tried to remember. "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure they weren't. Although I was pretty tired so it's hard for me to be certain."

"Well then let's get you young ones inside." Infernus began to turn back towards the underground city. "You sound like you've had a long and tiresome travel."

"That goes without saying." Sparx chuckled and patted Cynder on the rump. The dragoness jerked awake and swatted the dragonfly with the flat of her tail blade.

"Do you mind?" She snapped.

"Alright you two, come on." Spyro said trying to calm Cynder down. "We're all tired."

"Once you young ones get rested up then we will discuss what is to be done about this current problem."

"Sounds good to me." Flame yawned loudly and his grandfather swatted him upside his head with his tail. "Ow!" He yelped.

"It's rude not to cover up when you yawn." Infernus scolded slightly.

"But I'm a guardian now." Flame whimpered.

"That still doesn't mean you cannot be hit for bad manners." The fire guardian sulked and looked towards the cave entrance. His grandfather just laughed and rubbed his grandson's head with a large paw. "Come now Flameus, you may retire to your old quarters. We have kept them in pristine condition since you've left home." The old dragon turned and followed his party back through the inner walls of the city.

The dragons got up to leave when they remembered Tremor and Gaia standing together several yards away.

"Tremor! Gaia!" Stella called out to them. "Come on! We're going inside where it's safe"

"Coming!" Gaia hollered back. "Let's go Tremor." She said softly, covering her yawn with a wing. "You should rest."

"I guess." Tremor glared at the mouth of the cave. Before he turned back towards the city he slammed paw down on the ground causing several stalagmites to shoot up from the floor of the cave, making a jagged obstacle for any invaders to get across. Little did the earth dragon realize that it would prove useless to them sooner than he wanted.


	9. Chapter 8

"How are you feeling?" Flame asked as he walked ember to his living quarters that evening.

"I'm exhausted." Ember mumbled. She was one of the few who had been lucky enough to be carried and get some sleep on the flight over. "I don't think I can be of any more use until I can recharge my body."

Flame smiled. "I'd give your body a recharge if I wasn't so pooped myself." He let Ember curl up onto his pile of cushions first. The dragoness smiled flirtatiously at him as she nestled down into the soft cushions.

"Perhaps later hot shot. But just being with you is a blessing in itself."

Flame's cheeks burned and he lay down beside his dragoness and licked her cheek slightly. "I couldn't have said it better myself." He whispered before yawning loudly. "Goodnight my beautiful dragoness."

"Goodnight my handsome Flame." The two fire breathers snuggled close to each other and were fast asleep in a matter of minutes.

Spyro sighed softly to himself as he stared into the darkness. Sparx and Cynder lay to either side of him and were throwing up a line of Z's. Cynder was exhausted from the long flight as well as the short battle, and had fallen asleep almost as soon as she hit the pillows. The warmth of her body and gentle sound of her breathing relaxed Spyro but not enough for him to fall asleep.

Outside the noise of the city had died down considerably; but the sounds of dragons calling out to one another and wings soaring just over the roof of their pavilion were enough to keep the purple dragon's mind racing. His mind was saturated with the thoughts of how the wolves had savagely attacked the cheetah tribe and now a dragon city from out of the blue and unprovoked. He still had the twisted feeling in his gut that something terrible was about to happen.

Spyro was not the only one awake. Across the hall in another small pavilion, Tremor sat staring out at the hallway. The lights from the lanterns gave a warm glow to the pale rock walls dug out from the sides of the cave. But with everything that he had seen throughout the past several hours made the torchlight look like the distant glow of what fires were to come. The earth dragon could feel the tension in the air which put his nerves on edge even more. After several hours of lying awake he got up, leaving his sister alone on the cushions. He draped several of the pillows he had been lying on over her to help keep her warm. The earth dragoness cooed in her sleep and curled into a tighter ball.

Tremor smiled at her and gave his sister a light kiss on the cheek before sneaking out of the room.

Candice heard the sound of heavy wings go by over the pavilion rooftop. She glanced up at the ceiling and groaned. She couldn't understand how Stella was able to sleep with all the outside racket going on. She looked at the sleeping lightning dragoness beside her and sighed.

"How does she do it?" She pondered to herself. It was then that she spotted Tremor walk by their pavilions entryway. The earth dragon didn't even so much a turn a scale in her direction and continued down the hall. "What is he doing up at this late hour?" The ice dragoness rose up off the cushions and started to leave when Stella rolled over in her sleep and grabbed her hind leg.

"Mmm...I love sheep's thighs." She drooled and licked Candice's leg. The ice dragoness stifled herself from yelping at the tickling sensation and did her best to gently pull her leg free from Stella's grasp. As she moved towards the doorway she looked back at her roommate to see her chewing on one of the pillows.

Candice couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Even when times seemed down, Stella was always able to put a smile on her face with her silly antics. With that final thought she slipped into the hallway.

Spyro yawned again as he stared at the far wall. Even just lying here, as tired as he was, he couldn't fall asleep. He thinking of taking a walk when he heard footsteps outside the pavilion. He turned his head to see Tremor pass by and a few seconds later Candice followed him.

"I guess I'm not the only one not getting any sleep." He thought as he tightened his curl around Cynder and closed his eyes, hoping for sleep.

Tremor made his way through the hallways around the pavilions and finally came to a stop at a small outcrop in the cave wall. The larger dragons could barely fit themselves onto the ledge but for a young dragon of his size he had no trouble finding room to make himself comfortable.

Tremor sat down on his haunches and stared lazily out at the underground city. Dragons were still going about their ways rebuilding the city structures that had been damaged and changing the guard.

"Shouldn't you be trying to get some sleep?" The earth dragon's head snapped around to see Candice walking up to him.

"You should be one to talk." Tremor said, surprised to see that she was even up.

"Well I was trying until I saw you get up."

"You were watching me?" Tremor raised an eyebrow.

"No!" Candice snapped. "I was trying to sleep when I saw you walk by! That's all!"

"Yeah, sure." Tremor smirked.

Candice could feel her face getting hot with anger. "Tremor, instead of sitting here awake and being a smart ass, you should be trying to rest up! You're not going to do your home any good if you're tired while fighting!"

"I'm not stupid, Candy." The ice dragoness narrowed her eyes at him. She hated that he had come up with that new nickname for her. "But I'm sure if you were in my situation and this was your home, you would be wide awake and just as nervous."

"Tremor, I'm smart enough to do what needs to be done for my home. I'd still be trying to get some sleep. Not sneaking out in the middle of the night."

"Oh really? Should we have the wolves attack your home and see how you react then?" Candice jerked as if she had been slapped. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Tremor realized what he had just said and hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that in the slightest." He turned back to look out over the city. "It's just, this has been my home ever since I was a hatchling with Gaia. I know we'll be residing in the dragon city for some time, but you never forget where you came from. You know?"

Candice's temper subsided and she sighed deeply. She was feeling more exhausted now than she was before. She walked closer and sat down beside Tremor. The two watched the other dragons go about their duties. The walls were being built back up by the earth dragons while electric sentries stood watch. Far beyond the wall, were the residential pavilions. Beyond those were the dragon temples and beyond those were the shelters. Candice found herself somewhat impressed with the city's size for being carved underground.

"I'll help you protect your home." She whispered, still staring ahead.

"What?" Tremor turned his head towards the ice dragoness.

"I said I'll help you, Gaia and Flame protect your home." Candice turned to him. The two dragons locked eyes. Tremor found himself almost lost in hers. The dragoness had bright purple eyes like Spyro, but she carried a fierce feminine fire within them that made her such a strong dragon.

"And I'll return the favor should it ever come to that." Tremor bobbed his head slightly. Candice felt a slight smile tug at her cheek.

"So does that mean you're going to get some sleep now?" She asked hoping he would say yes and they could go back to their pavilions.

"I think I'm going to wait here." Tremor shook his head. "If I fall asleep then I'll do it here."

"And what if the wolves attack again?"

"Then I'll be able to see them coming." Tremor replied and turned back to the city.

Candice sighed and shook her head. "You're such an idiot."

"And you're a kiss-ass." Tremor snickered.

Candice glared at him. She debated freezing him over to teach him another lesson but decided against it. "Fine then." She said after a long moment. "If you're going to stand guard up here, then I'm going to help. It's not a good idea for you to be alone when there might be danger lurking about."

"I can take care of myself Candy." Tremor snorted, but then a smile spread across his lips. "Thank you."

The dragoness just stared at him sternly for a long hard moment. "You do know that's not my real name."

"Yeah." Tremor's grin grew wider. "I know."

Unbeknown to the two dragons, a pair of golden eyes watched them from behind one of the pavilions. Stella smiled to herself before slipping away into the halls.


	10. Chapter 9

A loud roar thundered through the cave. The candidate's heads all jerked straight up.

"Shit! Here we go!" Tremor growled.

"Wolves!" A sentry shouted from atop the farthest wall. A split second later one of the canines sprang onto the dragon's back and bit down. The dragon bellowed and turned to try and tear the beast off. When he couldn't get it off the dragon flopped down on its back hard, crushing the attacker underneath. Before the dragon could recover another pair of wolves pounced on him and began to attack his softer belly scales. The dragon cried out and struggled to knock the wolves back as the other guards hurried to help him.

Spyro, Cynder and Sparx rushed out into the halls. Already the city was alive and filled with the noise of dragons rushing to defend their home from the snarling invaders. Flame and Ember rushed up with Stella and Gaia close behind.

"Where's Tremor and Candice?" Spyro asked, his eyes searching for the two candidates.

"I don't know." Gaia shook her head. "He was gone when I woke up."

"Last I saw, they were with each other." Stella piped up. "I'm sure they'll be okay together."

"Granted they don't kill each other first." Sparx shook his head.

"As long as they have each other, that's better than them being alone." Spyro nodded. "Come on! We have to help defend the city!"

"Right!" The other dragons nodded. The guardians dove over the nearest railing and shot towards the outer walls. The wolves were rushing the wall in mad bloodlust and the sentries quickly found themselves being overwhelmed. The dragons sprang off the wall breathing their various elements as the canines scrambled over each other, eager for an early kill.

As the guardians soared over the city they spotted the wolves that had managed to get past the outer defenses, the dragons in the residential area of the city.

Spyro turned his head back over his shoulder to the candidates. "Help them get to safety! Cynder and I are going to head for the outer wall and help any way we can! Maybe we can slow them down long enough for you to get them to shelter!"

"You got it!" They called back. The dropped to the ground as Spyro, Cynder and Sparx flew on ahead. Flame was the first to charge in. He slammed into a wolf that was trying to grab at a dragoness trying to protect her hatchling.

"Run!" Flame shouted to the female over his shoulder. "Get to the shelter! Hurry!" The dragoness didn't need to be told twice. She clutched her hatchling close to her chest and sprang into the air towards the far shelters.

The wolf Flame had attacked watched as his prey flew away and turned his yellow eyes on the fire guardian. "That was a mistake dragon." He snarled and bared his fangs.

"You're the one making a mistake flee-bag. I'll make you regret that you ever attacked my home!" The combatants lunged for each other and clashed in a deadly brawl of teeth and claws.

"Flame!" Ember cried.

"Ember! Duck!" Gaia shouted. The pink dragoness leaned down as a blade whistled over her head and stuck in the wall behind her. The wolf charged straight for her with claws fully extended. Ember readied herself and ducked as the claws passed over her head. She braced herself against the ground and rammed the wolf in the chest as hard as she could. The beast coughed and choked as its chest wall shattered from the impact. Ember through it aside to writhe in pain as it's life slowly came to a gurgling halt.

"Above!" Stella shouted. Up on the roofs, several more wolves growled angrily at the young dragons before them. Stella jumped in front of her friends as the attackers sprang into the air. The dragoness spread her wings wide and her body shuddered. When she opened her mouth a spray of electric bolts engulfed the wolves. They yelped in pain and fell to the ground dead, bodies still convulsing from the shock.

Flame roared and smashed his head against a wolf's long snout. The body crumbled to the ground, nose and mouth bleeding openly. Another attacker leaped between two pavilions and attempted to take Flame from behind. The fire breather swung his horns and caught the wolf's arms in them. In a slit second, Flame saw his attacker's eyes widen in surprise and he grinned. Flame used his opponent's momentum and himself around once before hurling the body into a stone wall.

The previous wolf Flame had hit opened its eyes and glared at the young dragon.

Ember spotted the monster get up. "Flame, behind you!" She cried and drop-kicked a wolf into several of his pack-mates.

Flame turned his head just as the wolf grabbed him by the horns. The monster lifted him up and slammed him head against the ground. Flame saw stars as he was lifted again and slammed into a wall. The wolf grabbed Flame by the throat and sprang high into the air.

Ember saw time begin to slow down as the wolf readied to put a quick end to Flame's life. The beast raised its hand holding the dragon high over its head as it began to let gravity pull it back down.

Flame saw Ember's mouth open in a scream but heard nothing. He watched as the ground rushed up to meet him.

Just before the wolf could turn Flame into a bloody smear on the ground Gaia sprang into the air and smashed her horns into the wolf's arm, forcing him to release the guardian. Flame's body bounced across the ground and slumped against a way. High up, the wolves spotted the dragon body fall away from the relative protection of his companions. They barked in anticipation and leaped into a high arch.

"Oh no you don't!" Ember shouted as she watched the wolves descend upon her mate. "He's mine!" She threw herself in front of them. A tremor ripped throughout her body and she let loose an ear-shattering cry. The wolves cringed and covered their ears at the high-pitched noise. A split second later, flames erupted from Ember's body. The swirling barrier of fire burst into a spiraling tornado of energy, engulfing the wolves and turning them to ash.

Off in the distance, Sparx saw the display of power and gulped loudly. "I really hope that was our guys."

"Flame? Flame!" Ember bent down and nudge him with her snout. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"

"Ugh." The fire guardian groaned and shut his eyes tight to try and stop the spinning. "I'm alright Ember. Just a little dazed."

"Are you sure?" His dragoness leaned hi until their snouts were almost touching. Flame opened his eyes and nodded.

"I'm not going anywhere. Come on. Let's get back to work."

There was a loud scream in the streets. The young dragons looked around to see several wolves dragging several dragons away.

"Let go of me!" One of the dragons hissed and slashed at a wolf's arm. The wolf growled and struck the dragon across the head, knocking it unconscious.

"We have to help them!" Ember shouted and charged the group of wolves.

Flame glared at the invaders. "Gaia and Stella, take the east side of the city. It's a longer route for them to escape but it should be easier to take them from there."

"Gotcha!" Stella nodded and took off after Gaia. The two dragons darted down a side street just as another group of wolves appeared on the scene. They turned towards their direction and were ready to pursue when a towering wall of fire blocked their path. They yelped in surprise and turned to see Flame stalking towards them with teeth bared.

"You guys aren't going anywhere." He growled and the wolves cringed in fear for a moment. "You're time has run out." The wolves snarled and lunged for Flame's throat.

Stella and Gaia raced through the streets as fast as they could. The echoing sounds of wolves howling and dragons roaring was enough to scare the wits from any dragon, let alone dragons their age. The two puffed on as several wolves appeared overhead in the pavilion rooftops.

"We've got company!" Gaia called, without looking back. She could hear their claws on the stone and feel their presence though the earth.

"I'll hold them off!" Stella called. "You keep going to the east side of town!"

"Can you take them?" Gaia gave her fried a worried look.

Stella only smiled. "Of course I can. I'm a guardian. I do what I have to."

"Alright then. Good luck." Gaia spread her wings and shot low over the ground. "I'd better see you alive after all this is done!" She called back over her shoulder.

Stella chuckled to herself as she spun to face the enemy. "Count on it!" She growled and bolts of lightning crackled around her body. The wolves dove for her with weapons aiming for a quick and decisive kill. Stella hissed and spat four quick bolts. The attack stunned the wolves and knocked their weapons from their hands. One by one they fell towards the lightning guardian; and one by one she struck them down.

Her concentration was interrupted when she heard a cry from down the street. Her head snapped around in time to see three wolves grab a young black dragon and begin to drag him away.

"Let me go!" The dragon shouted and breathed black fire into the face of one of the wolves. The beast howled in pain as it clawed at its burning fur. The dragon fell to the ground after being dropped and scrambled to get away. The other two wolves bared down on him quickly. The first stepped onto the dragon's back, pinning him and smashed his head into the ground. The second drove the jagged tip of its weapon into the dragon's shoulder just above the wing. The black dragon hollered in pain and sank to the ground. The wolves laughed as they watched the dragon glare back over his shoulder at them with pure defiance in his eyes. He wasn't going to go quietly.

"Get your filthy paws off of him!" The wolves and dragon turned their heads to see Stella soar through the air and smash into the wolves sending the canines tumbling over the ground. The black dragon stared up in awe at the dragoness standing before him. Her scales were a warm yellow and her breast scales were almost a perfect golden brown. She looked down at him with a comforting smile. The black dragon struggled to get to his feet but the stab he had received immobilized him.

"Just relax." Stella said in a gentle voice. "You'll be okay. I won't let them get you." She turned back to the wolves and hissed menacingly and spread her wings wide. The wolves growled angrily and gripped their weapons tighter. Blood stained their fur and trickled from their curled lips. The larger of the two howled loudly. Stella watched as another dozen of the invaders seemed to appear from out of nowhere, from alleys, rooftops and behind corners.

"Oh so that's how you want to play then?" Stella's teeth flashed as the electrical charge within her built up. The energy radiated outward from her body and the crackling turned to a loud screeching. Stella's eyes began to glow yellow as her energy began to manifest into the form of a large female dragon. The guardian and the manifestation reared up on their hind legs, clawing the air wildly. A shrill roar pierced the wolves ears and they fell to their knees trying to tear their ears off to get away from the stabbing pain. Stella's roar died off and she waited for the wolves to rise before a grin spread across her mouth.

"Let's go you monsters!" The manifestation spread its wings wide in a brilliant display of power. There was a flash of energy and an angry roar thundered throughout the city.


	11. Chapter 10

Candice slammed a wolf into the wall of a pavilion. The dragoness ducked as a blade swished by over her head from behind, just missing her horns. She bucked low and kicked the wolf hard in the solar plexus with her hind legs. The wolf choked, missing his breath and grasped at his throat as he fell to his knees. Candice spun out of the way to avoid being crushed and spat a blast of ice into the wolf's face, freezing its head over. The beast fell to the ground and it's head shattered. Candice turned away from the sight and ran.

Tremor struck a wolf in the chest with the ball of his wrist. The impact crushed the wolf's chest and impaled its internal organs. As the creature sputtered blood, Tremor knocked it back into its pack-mates. The wolves tumbled over each other in a tangled mess of fur, blood and limbs. Tremor slammed a paw down and a pillar burst from the ground sending the bodies tumbling through the air.

The earth dragon turned to see Candice bound over to him.

"This is insane!" She panted heavily and hung her head, trying to gasp for breath.

"Keep your head up." Tremor lifted her chin with the barb on his wing. "You'll get your breath back a lot quicker if you don't restrict your wind pipe. And don't worry, we can take these losers."

Candice felt the blood rush to her cheeks as Tremor stared into her eyes. The moment was interrupted by a snarl and the dragons turned to see more wolves scrambling over their fallen comrades to get at them. Candice took to the air and several of the wolves leaped after her. Tremor jumped up and curled himself into a boulder. Candice froze the wolves on the ground that had been aiming for Tremor as the earth dragon plowed into her attackers. Tremor hit the ground the shock wave smashed the frozen wolves.

Suddenly a pillar of fire burst up on the far end of the city. "It looks like there's trouble deeper in the residential area!" Candice called down.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Tremor spread his wings and took off. Candice shook her head and followed close.

Several wolves headed down the side streets along the east side of the city. Each carried at least one unconscious black dragon.

"The Alpha will be pleased to see the bounty we have collected this time around." One of them smiled and took a nip at the neck of one of the dragons under his arm.

"I, for one, am curious why the Alpha needs these these worthless creatures. Unless he is having us kill them for their flesh, then I do not see the point."

"You won't have to worry about that." A sudden voice caused the wolves to stop where they were. They had come to a small open courtyard with a small pool in the middle of it. The wolves all looked around, snarling and trying to sound as intimidating as possible to whomever had dared to challenge them. After a long moment the leader took a step forward.

"Hold it right there!" The wolves heads jerked towards the dragoness that had stepped out from behind a large dragon statue on the edge of the courtyard. "Put the dragons down, right now!" Gaia narrowed her eyes at them.

The wolves all looked at each other in surprise. Then the leader spoke. "A single hatchling? Is that all the mighty dragons have to offer us?" He spit and missed; the glob landing on the statue. "You younglings can't hope to stand up to even one of us." The wolf looked down at his unconscious captives then back to the earth guardian. "What makes you think that you of all dragons can match us?"

Gaia wanted desperately to say something witty that would put the wolf in his place. But that was her brother's specialty. A grin spread across her lips. "Well if you're so confident, then why don't you show me tough guy!"

"Alright then." The wolf set his captives down and drew his blade. "I'm gunna..." He took a step forward and didn't finish the sentence. Gaia slammed a foot on the ground and sent a pillar of stone straight into the wolf's lower jaw. He saw stars as he heard his bones break from the impact. Blood and teeth flew from his mouth as he reeled back and slumped to the ground

The rest of the pack stood speechless as they stared down at him, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. They snarled and dropped their prisoners and charged Gaia with pure hate burning in their yellow eyes.

Gaia spat an earth bullet and struck the lead wolf in the chest. The attack shattered his chest wall and his organs turned to mush. His pack-mates paid him on mind as his body flew past them. Gaia slammed her front paws into the ground. The wave of stone barreled towards the wolves sending most of them off balance and tumbling over each other. The three wolves that dodged the attack leaped for the dragoness. The lead wolf brought its blade down hard. Gaia side stepped the blow and spun around. Her tail connected with the side of the leader's head and she followed up with a back-kick. The force sent the leader into one of his pack-mates and the two hit the ground. The remaining attacker swung his weapon and Gaia ducked. She thrust her horns into the wolf's gut and tossed him over her back.

The first two wolves looked their comrade's bleeding body as he struggled to rise. They were about to go on the attack again when the wounded warrior lifted his head up and let out a pain-filled howl. Gaia whirled around with wide eyes. She had never encountered wolves before but she had a good idea what he was doing. With a dying gasp the wolf collapsed to the ground. There was a long moment of silence between the combatants. Gaia felt a chill run down her spine and she moved closer to the pool in the middle of the courtyard.

The dragoness felt her heart racing and pounding against her chest. After a moment she took in a deep breath to calm herself. There was a slight shuffle and the sound of claws against hard stone. The dragoness turned and struck an attacking wolf with her tail. Immediately another wolf took its place and lunged. Gaia rolled to the side as the blade struck the ground where she had been standing. She hooked her tail around the base of one of the dragon statues and hurled it at the wolf. There was a yelp and a loud crash as the projectile smashed into a wall.

As the statue began to fall, Gaia sprang into the air and shattered the upper half of the stone dragon. With a mighty flap of her wings she sent a shower of stone at the wolves across the courtyard. The canines shielded their faces with their weapons but their bodies were struck by the stone bullets. The invaders fell to their knees, blood seeping from their open wounds and covering the ground around them.

Snarl heard the dying howl as he entered the city. He had managed to slip past the defenders of the outer walls and make his way towards the residential areas of the underground dragon city. The shrill cry make his fur stand on end. Not out of fear, but rage. The warrior ground his teeth together and sheathed his weapon before taking off on all fours. He leaped high onto the wall of a pavilion and scrambled to the roof before racing towards the sound of his dying comrade. The Alpha bounded from one rooftop to another until he reached a high ledge overlooking part of the city.

Snarl's fierce yellow eyes searched madly for any sign of his pack-mates down below. His grip on his weapon tightened as his frustration increased.

Suddenly there was a loud crash and a cloud of dirt and rocks burst up from a small courtyard close by. The Alpha looked down to see a young, green dragoness roll out of the way of one of his warrior's attacks. The dragoness smashed a nearby statue and peppered several of his warriors with the stone fragments, crippling them severely. Seeing his companions bleed made the Alpha's blood boil. He sprang into the air with insanity burning in his eyes. Gaia never heard or saw him coming as the Alpha male brought himself down on top of the young dragoness.

A loud screech ripped through the cavern.

"I'm willing to bet that's Stella!" Candice called over the noise as she pointed her nose towards a spray of lightning that had just shot up from the ground.

Tremor nodded. "I think we should go gi-aaaauuuuggghhhh!" His sudden scream caused Candice to jolt and look around wildly in alarm.

"Tremor! What's going on?" She looked around expecting to see a group of wolves coming at them. "Tremor?" She looked back to find him gone. Her eyes swept down to see his body tumbling out of the sky. "Tremor!" She cried and dove after him. Nearby a group of wolves heard her cries and turned their attention towards her. Their pace quickened when they saw the earth dragon laying on the ground.


	12. Chapter 11

"Tremor!" Candice's voice seemed so distant to the earth dragon. The earth dragon's eyelids twitched. His head throbbed and his body suddenly ached. There was a sharp stabbing pain in his back just below his wings. "Tremor!" Candice's voice was a little louder this time. There was the sound of hissing and snarling and yowls of pain. The earth dragon opened his eyes. Everything was a spinning, blurry mess. He struggled to get himself up but his body didn't want to cooperate.

"Tremor! Get up!" Candice ordered and she knocked away a bleeding wolf. "I've been trying to get you to wake up for over thirty minutes!" Tremor blinked several times, not fully sure where he was or how he had gotten there. He looked up at Candice who was flapping her wings to spread the force of her ice breath upon the approaching canines. When she saw Tremor was awake she inhaled deeper and blew hard. The wolves unfortunate enough not to get out of the way were left frozen in the think wall of ice, cutting the rest of the pack off from the young dragons.

"Damn it Tremor! I told you you needed sleep so you could replenish your strength!" The dragoness bent down and did her best to help the earth dragon to his feet. "This is what I was afraid of!"

"Afraid?" Tremor seemed to come back to reality. "Gaia!" He shouted and Candice jerked her head towards him in surprise. "It's Gaia! She's in trouble!" Tremor looked the ice dragoness in the eye. "We have to find her!"

Sure enough that he could stand on his own, Candice backed away from Tremor. "Then go Tremor! Go and help your sister! I'll cover your escape!"

"What? You can't be serious! All on your own?" Tremor took a step towards her. "That'd be suicide!"

"I'm a lot stronger than you give me credit for Tremor!" Candice snapped and shoved him aside as she faced the wall of ice. On the other side the wolves were trying to break through. "Now go to her! Help Gaia, before it's too late!" Tremor hesitated, torn between his sense of honor and his need to help his sister. "I'll catch up to you when I'm finished here! Now go!" No sooner had she spoken than the wolves burst through the wall. Tremor's eyes grew wide and he turned and ran. The wolves spotted him and sprang past Candice to take pursuit.

"Where do you think you're going!" The ice dragoness fired an ice bolt in front of the wolves. The canines skidded to a halt as another wall of ice formed in front of them. "If you boys want him, you need to go through me first!" The dragoness looked around as the pack began to circle her, intent on making her eat her own words.

Tremor felt a chill run down his spine as he rushed through the streets of his home city. He had no idea why or how he had been rendered unconscious but he didn't like the feeling it left in his stomach. He had no idea where he was running, nor did he really care. He just followed his instincts dodging down every alleyway he could.

At last he came to an open courtyard and he skidded to a halt. He had no idea why his body had chosen to stop here. The yard was littered with stone debris and the blood and bodies of fallen wolves. Tremor took a cautious step forward, slowly making his way around a broken dragon statue. It was then that his eyes widened in horror and his heart nearly stopped.

"Gaia!" He shouted and bounded over to her. The dragoness lay on her side in a large puddle of her own blood. Tremor's eyes wavered as he looked her over. She had several slash marks that ran up her neck and across her cheek, covering her face in blood. Her legs had been slashed and broken and her tail had been hacked in several places. One of her wings was limp, just barely hanging on by a thread. Then Tremor noticed the savage gash along her spine exposing her to the bone. "Gaia." He shook his head in disbelief and leaned down towards his twin. He scooped her head up in his paws and nuzzled her.

There was a soft moan and Tremor's head jerked back in surprise. Gaia slowly opened her eyes and stared up at her brother. "Tremor..." She said in a whisper. "You made it... You're okay?"

"No." Tremor shook his head. "I'm not oaky. You're not okay."

"I know." Gaia smiled and coughed, spattering her brother's face and chest with blood.

"Gaia! Hold on! Don't try to move! We'll get a healer to fix you up! Just hold on a little longer!"

Gaia just continued to smile. "It's okay Tremor. I'm not scared." Her brother looked at her with eyes glistening with tears that were begging to come out. "I know you'll make a fine guardian when your training is done."

"Don't talk like that!" Tremor shook his head desperately. "I can't go on without you there with me!"

"I'm not going to leave you Tremor." Gaia tried to lift a paw to her brother's cheek but her strength had left her body long ago. Her eyes were already glazing over as her time trickled away. "I'll always be there with you. I'll always be there for you." Tremor clenched his teeth and held her tighter, not willing to let her go.

"Gaia! Don't go!" He pulled her close to him. There was a long silence. The dragoness smiled as she listened to the strong pulsing of her brother's heart.

"You have a strong heart." Gaia cooed softly. "Much stronger than you know."

"Gaia..." Tremor squeezed his eyes shut. How wanted desperately to cry but he needed to remain strong for his sister. As he held her close to him he felt her straining to breathe. The dragoness coughed hard several more times. Gaia's chest heaved as she tried for one last deep breath.

"Tremor..." Her voice was almost inaudible.

"What is it?"

The dragoness gave him a smile. It was the one she gave when she wanted something from him. And it was never just something little with this smile.

"Don't be too hard on Candice. Just remember what I said before."

Tremor's eyes grew wide and it took him a moment to recover from the shock. "I will." He bobbed his head slightly with a smile. Even when she was ready to die his sister was still always thinking about those she cared for. "I swear to you, I will keep my promise!"

Gaia's breathing began to slow and Tremor pressed his lips tightly together, seeing what was coming. Gaia breathed in a couple times before closing her eyes for good. Tremor didn't utter a single word. He just closed his eyes and bowed his head over his sister as the sounds of the battle raged on in the distance.

All at once Gaia's body temperature began to rise. Tremor opened his eyes to see his sister's body begin to shine with a bright green energy. Then slowly the energy began to disperse and Tremor watched as the tiny orbs of light melted into him. His body tingled and burned from the inside out. He held his sister closer to him, not ready to release her. Tremor tried his best not to call out for his sister as she faded from his sight.

The glow died away and Tremor looked down at his empty paws. He looked at the ground in disbelief then turned around hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare. Tremor hung his head in defeat. He suddenly felt lost. His only remaining family was gone before his very eyes.

Just then Gaia's voice echoed around him. "I love you Tremor. I'm proud to have been your twin."

"Gaia!" Tremor looked up hoping to at least see a vision of her.

"I'm not going to leave you Tremor. If you ever need me, just listen to the earth." Then she gave a slight giggle. "After all, it's what we do best."

Tremor sighed and closed his eyes tight. He hurt all over. His insides burned like they were on fire. He couldn't take it anymore. The earth dragon jumped and slammed his back paws into the stone floor and smashed his front ones into the ground. With his paws embedded in the rock he made his mind one with the earth. He felt every little vibration, sensed every heart beat within the cave.

Just then the cave began to shake. It was subtle at first then it felt as if the entire cavern was rocking like a boat in choppy waters. A thunderous crash rang throughout the cavern and every head turned up.

"What was that?" Cynder asked.

"I don't know." Spyro shook his head. "But I have feeling something bad did, or is about to happen."

Suddenly the cave floor seemed to shatter. Stalagmites shot up like blades of grass throughout the underground city. The spikes impaled the remaining wolves and soon the cave was filled with their howls and cries of pain. The dragons dodged the spikes and took to the air as blood, bodies and limbs flew through the air.

"Look out!" Stella shouted and tackled the wounded black dragon as another row of spikes burst through the wolves she was fighting. She closed her eyes, expecting to get impaled herself. When she opened her eyes the rocks had formed a protective barrier between her and the blood-stained spikes.

Ember and Flame sprang onto a wall and bounced off into the air. Below them the wolves barked and howled as they tried to get away from the spikes suddenly bursting through the ground. Several managed to leap onto the roofs of the pavilions but even there they were not safe from Tremor's wrath. The stone pavilions grew spikes and killed the canines where they stood.

Tremor felt every wolf drop dead inside the cavern. He clenched his teeth tight trying to hold himself back but he couldn't anymore. He raised his head and let out an agonized roar that shook the earth. Dirt and stones fell from the ceiling, smashing into the streets below.

"Holy shit!" Candice banked hard as a stalactite shot past her. The sound of sorrow reached her and her heart rate quickened. "Oh my god. Tremor!" She dove back down and shot low over the streets. The fallen rocks and bloody stalagmites sank back into the ground leaving the streets as clean and clear as they had been before. When she was sure she could set foot down, Stella ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

At last she stumbled across the courtyard where Tremor was.

"Tremor!" She called but her words fell on deaf ears. She stood at the edge of the courtyard and looked around. The wolf bodies lay in a heap across from him. Tremor had his back turned to the bodies and seemed to be staring at the ground.

Slowly, Candice approached him. As she drew closer she saw that he was standing in a large pool of blood which flowed into the holes at his feet.

"Tremor?" Candice felt a sharp pain in her heart as she slowly began to realize what had happened. "Tremor, are you there?" She stopped several feet away from him. After several long silent minutes the earth dragon moved. He pulled his blood-stained feet from the holes and turned towards Candice. The ice dragoness gasped in shock when she saw how much blood he was covered in.

"Oh my god! Tremor, you're a mess!" She stepped forward to meet him but he moved to her side to avoid her. "Tremor?" She glanced back at him sadly as he walked away from her without so much as a word or a look. She felt the knot in her chest tighten up and she pressed her lips together tightly.

Tremor never saw the tear that escaped from her eye and froze upon her soft scales before falling to the ground and shattering into a million pieces.


	13. Chapter 12

The funeral was held two days later after the attack. The guardians were nothing less than distraught at the news. Candice was the one to tell them, insisting that Tremor be given his space and time to himself.

It rained the day of the funeral. The guardian's tears only added to the water that flowed from the roof of the cave into the drinking pools scattered throughout the city. The casket was empty at the burial ceremony. Candice continually had to brush off the tears that froze up around her eyes. She made constant side glances at Tremor who stood up up at the head of the pallbearers. The earth dragon didn't so much as shed a tear as he watched his sister's casket get lowered into the ground. Seeing him this way just made Candice cry harder. Stella did her best to comfort her guardian friend and draped a wing over her.

Tremor avoided any contact with anyone for the remainder of the week. His friends made an effort to bring him his meals to his home pavilion, but the guardian barely touched any of his meals; not even the ones consisting of his favorite dishes.

Candice was out flying across the city one morning heading back to the pavilions. She had gone to the outer walls for a morning walk by herself and had ended up running into Spyro, Sparx and Cynder there. The four of them held minimal conversation, since none of them were in a much better frame of mind. At last Candice broke away from them to head back to bring Tremor his breakfast, in hopes that he would eat today.

As she glided over the pavilion rooftops, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. She pitched down and came to rest in a small courtyard with a rain pool in the center of it. The dragoness immediately recognized the spot and hurried to leave. but something drew her attention. Sitting over in the corner sat a statue. It looked brand new from the way the polished stone gleamed. As she looked closer, Candice saw it was a statue of Gaia. The earth dragoness sat upon a small pedestal and looked at Candice. Even the figure seemed to be filled with the Gaia's kind and gentle energy as it smiled at her. Candice leaned down to read a message carved into a small plaque on the platform.

**In Loving Memory of Gaia**

**Guardian, Sister, Friend**

**I'll Miss You and Love You Always**

**Your Twin Brother, Tremor**

Candice felt another tear form and freeze up on her cheek. Just before the frozen droplet could hit the ground the dragoness caught it delicately between her talons. "We'll miss you." She whispered as she set the tear down on the plaque. With that she spread her wings again and took off to find the earth guardian.

Candice walked calmly down the hall to Tremor's pavilion. Having seen the earth guardian's last gift to his sister she felt her spirits lift a bit. She stopped at the doorway and wrapped on the entrance with her tail spade. She didn't expect Tremor to answer so she poked her head in. Inside it was still dark. The earth dragon hadn't lit any of his candles since he'd lost his sister. Candice waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She searched the chamber but found no sign of Tremor. There was a loud crash as the tray fell from her jaws. She turned and bolted out the door and down every hallway she could see trying desperately to find him.

"Where could he be!" She gasped as she paused to catch her breath. "He wouldn't..." She shook those thoughts from her head. "No! Don't think like that!" She told herself. She took off running again and nearly trampled over Flame and Ember.

"Candice, where's the fire at?" Ember stared her friend in the eye.

"I didn't do it." Flame raised a paw innocently.

"Have either of you seen Tremor? He's not in his room!"

"No, we haven't." The fire breathers exchanged worried glances.

"Could you help me look for him?" Candice asked with pleading eyes.

"Of course!" Ember nodded. "We'll grab the others to help search for him.

"Thanks you guys." Candice gave a half smile before taking off again. Another hour of searching passed and still there was no sign of Tremor. Candice was beginning to grow desperate. "Damn it! Why can't I find him?" She slammed a paw against the ground furiously. "Okay Candice, calm down." She whispered to herself and took in several deep breaths before exhaling a cloud of frost. "Now think, where would he go if he were troubled about something?" After a long hard moment the lightbulb turned on in her head. She dashed off down the halls again and didn't stop until she reached the spot she had thought of.

Sure enough, much to the her relief, she found him. Tremor sat atop the ledge that extruded from the cave wall where she had sat with him a week before. The earth dragon stared out across the city towards the outer walls and seemed to be lost in his thoughts. As Candice emerged from the cover of the pavilions she accidently knocked a rock off the edge. The noise caused Tremor to snap out of his trance and look at her.

"Hey." He said plainly.

"Hey yourself." The ice dragoness replied and took a few cautious steps towards him and paused. When Tremor didn't say anything she gathered the rest of her nerves and moved closer until she was standing next to him. After a moment of staring at each other she sat down next to him. Tremor looked at her for a long moment before turning back to looking over the city. An extended silence passed between them.

After a while, Candice spoke. "Did you come out here to think?" The earth dragon nodded. "Would you like to be left alone for a while longer?" Candice felt the sorrow returning. Much to her surprise Tremor shook his head. She sighed, somewhat content, and turned back to gazing at nothing.

Another hour passed in silence. This time Tremor was the one to speak.

"You know, this was the spot Gaia and I used as our 'secret' meeting spot." He said and nodded towards the ledge they were on. "Whenever we needed time to ourselves, to think, to cry or whatever, we used to come here to this spot."

"I see." Candice looked at him. He looked like a completely different dragon from the loud-mouth pain-in-the-ass she was used to. He seemed so much deeper now. So much more intelligent and almost more mature-looking.

Tremor turned and gazed into her eyes. Candice felt herself lost in his yellow-green eyes. They had been bright yellow-green before but now the iris' seemed to be lined with a deep forest green, much like his sister's. His scales even seemed to imitate the same gradient pattern.

"Do you know how we got our names?" Tremor broke her concentration. Candice shook her head dumbly. Tremor smiled slightly and sighed. "According to what the elders said, our mother named us after the forces of nature."

"How so?" Candice cocked her head sideways. Tremor, not even Gaia, had talked about their past history before with anyone. So why was he telling her?

"Gaia is the spirit of the world we live in. It flows through every living thing. Our mother thought Gaia was the perfect resemblance of that, from the way she seemed to be able to put a smile on everyone's face no matter what was going on in the world at the time. It always felt like her influence was everywhere."

Candice nodded with a smile. She had noticed that about his sister many times; especially during the times when Tremor had been prancing on her last nerve. "And what about you?" She asked.

Tremor sort of smirked. "Well, according to what I hear, I used to have this habit of shaking whenever I got excited about something. When I did I would cause the ground to shake in response to my body. Mom felt that tremors were a sign of things to come. That when one hits, there will be a change following close behind. She always felt that I would be one to change to world in some way." He straightened up and smiled. "Of course I've done my best to break that habit over the years so I don't give away anything I may be planning at the time."

"That's too bad." Candice raised a brow and a smirk spread across her lips as well. "It would warn me when you're up to something."

Tremor laughed for the first time in several days. The sound was refreshing to both the dragons. "Well I guess that's good for me. Then I get to have more fun that way."

"Dear Ancestors." Candice rolled her eyes. She got up and stretched. "Don't stay out here too long. I don't want you catching a cold."

Tremor retained his smile. "The only cold I could ever catch would be from you Candy."

The ice dragoness froze at the sound of that name again. Then she sighed and shook her head as she headed back towards the pavilions. "Great, he's back." She muttered under her breath.

Down below the ledge Spyro, Cynder and the other guardians watched the scene play out before them.

"Well, they're making improvement." Cynder shrugged as she watched Candice march off towards the pavilions.

"Yeah." Stella nodded. "But it's probably best if those two take baby steps."


	14. Chapter 13

Spyro rose before the sun was up. Despite all that had happened within the past week, he felt more energized than he had expected. The surplus of energy is what woke him this morning.

He kissed Cynder on the forehead causing the dragoness to smile in her sleep and her tail twitched excitedly. Spyro chuckled silently and slipped out of the room and into the semi-deserted hallways. This morning was cooler than it had been the last few days and a slight mist drifted into the underground city. Spyro flew towards the outer walls. The sentries nodded politely to him as he glided by overhead. The purple dragon pitched up towards the mouth of the cave and into a swift breeze. He gave a slight shiver and blew a couple tufts of flame to warm up.

This was the first time he had been outside since they had arrived to help defend the city from the invading wolves. Everything seemed quiet, except for the occasional chirp or squawk from a bird nearby. As Spyro flew on over the treetops he found himself looking around the landscape. He had saved the world and had restored it to the way it was, but somehow it felt different. Incomplete somehow.

Spyro was lost in his thoughts when he heard an all-too-familiar howl in the distance. He frowned and turned towards the direction the noise came from. As he neared the edge of a grove of trees he saw a group of wolves rushing across the open field. They were chasing a black dragon.

Spyro remembered what Infernus had mentioned to him, and Cynder as well as the other guardians. Several of the wolves that had managed to infiltrate the city and make it out alive had kidnapped several black dragons. He was unsure what the wolves intended to do about it and had sent out a search party several days before. This dragon looked like it had managed to escape and make a break for home.

The dragon tripped on a tree stump and turned around in time for the first of his pursuers to raise it's heavy blade high over his head. The dragon cried out and struck the wolf. The blow sent the canine smashing into a tree, breaking its bones from the impact and turning the tree to splinters. The other three wolves looked at each other then to their comrade and finally the dragon who was scrambling to get away. The trio howled angrily and raised their weapons.

Another agonized howl filled the air as the attackers were struck with a bolt of lightning. The wolves fell to the ground in smoking heap of burned fur and flesh. The wind blew the stench towards Spyro who curled his lip at it. He landed in the field and walked over to the dragon.

The black dragon was several years older than Spyro. He almost resembled a male version of Cynder with larger muscles than Spyro and his adult horns already showing signs of poking through his scales.

"Hey are you okay?" Spyro called as he approached the dragon. The dragon just stared at him with his mouth hung open in shock. Spyro noticed and put his head under the dragon's arm, and helped raise him up. "Come on. Let's get you back home. I'm sure you're family is worried about you." The dragon nodded dumbly and moved off of Spyro. "Can you walk alright?" Spyro asked as he eyed the dragon for any injuries. The dragon just nodded and hung his head low as if he had done something wrong. Spyro smiled softly and placed a comforting paw on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you're safe now." He assured him. "Now what do you say we get going?"

Stella strolled down the halls to one of the medical pavilions. She was feeling somewhat better after the long week had gone by. When she arrived at her destination she wrapped her talons on the doorway.

"Who is it?" A voice called. When she poked her head in the black dragon smiled. "Well now. What do I owe for such a visit from the future guardian of lightning?"

Stella smiled and set the flower down on the dragon's pillow. The dragon had identified himself as Liun.

"You don't owe anything." She blushed. "I was just stopping by to see how your recovery was coming."

"Better." Liun got up and spread his wings, giving them several strong flaps. His wound was still bandaged. "It doesn't hurt anymore when I use them."

"Good I'm glad." Stella smiled and sat down next to his pillow pile. "It's been great getting to know you Liun." She blushed as she said those words and did her best to hide it.

"Despite the circumstances." Liun sighed sadly and flopped back down on the cushions. "It's been great getting to know and amazing dragoness like you. It's not every day you get rescued and visited by a pretty guardian."

Stella's cheeks burned and she was forced to turn away slightly.

"At any rate, Liun. We leave tomorrow for Warfang."

"The dragon city?"

"Yes. It's my home for the remainder of the year. Until my training is complete at least. Then if I do become guardian, it will be my more permanent home."

"If you're trying to say goodbye, you don't need to trouble yourself about it." Liun stroked her cheek with a claw. Stella looked back at him curiously. "I'll come with you. Perhaps there's something the guardians will let me do to help out. Or maybe I could just stay with you there."

"But what about your family?" Stella pointed out. "What would they say?"

Liun shook his head. "I have no family to speak of here. I lost them when I was a hatchling. But I can tell you this much." He leaned in and brought his snout up to Stella's. "I'm sure they'd want me to be part of something important and to be happy." Without another word he leaned in and kissed Stella. The golden guardian's eyes grew wide as she felt the blood in her body burn and her heart thump against her chest. Then she closed her eyes and delved into the moment.

Spyro led the dragon back through the woods towards the mouth of the cave. The walk back took over an hour, and by now the sun was burning away the last of the morning fog. Once inside the cave, Spyro marched up to the gate. The guards opened it with curious expressions on their faces as to why the purple dragon would enter through the main gate rather than flying over the obstacle as he had done before. Spyro led the dragon back to the residential area of the city. By now Spyro's stomach was growling for breakfast but he had to take the dragon to the elders in the main tempe first.

As the two ascended the stairs Spyro spoke. "I'm sure the elders here are going to be glad you managed to escape from the wolves." He started. "They may ask you what happened to the other dragons that went missing."

The dragon looked up slightly as they neared the top of the stairs.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere Spyro felt something stab deep into his shoulder. He hollered in pain and collapsed on the stairs. He looked back to see the black dragon's broad-headed tail blade buried into his flesh.

Spyro watched as a twisted grin spread across the dragon's mouth. His eyes began to glow purple and dark energy spread out from his body. The flames spiraled high and began to take shape. The figure that loomed over them sneered and Spyro felt his blood run cold.

"No!" Spyro gasped in horror.

"Oh yes." The dragon laughed evilly. "Hello again young Spyro."

"Malefor!" Spyro tried to resist the force of the black dragon's blade but only ended up getting the tip driven deeper into his shoulder. "How is this possible? I...I destroyed you!"

The black dragon laughed. "Young dragon, did Ignitus teach you nothing? When a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world because his spirit lives on." Spyro's eyes grew wider as he remembered the former fire guardian's words. "It's like I told you before." Malefor leaned down close to Spyro. The purple dragon could feel to coldness of the dark energy on his face. "I am eternal." The black dragon withdrew his tail blade causing Spyro to cry out again as his blood spurted onto the stairs.

"Spyro!" All three dragons turned to see Cynder running up the stairs towards them. The black dragon stepped back allowing Cynder to get close to Spyro. "There you are." She huffed as she caught her breath. "I've been searching all over for you. I wanted to go to breakfast with you before we start planning to leave tomorrow." It was then she noticed the blood trickling down Spyro's arm and side. "Oh my god! Spyro you're bleeding!" She leaned in closer to the wound to get a better look. "What happened? Were you attacked?"

"Cynder..." Spyro started, fighting against the pain. He couldn't understand why she was paying no mind to the other dragon standing no more than three feet away from her. He froze when the Dark Master extended his tail and let the end of his tail hover next to Cynder's throat. The black dragoness was completely unaware of the action. "Cynder...I..." Spyro stammered.

"She can't see or hear me Spyro." Malefor sneered. "Neither can any other dragon. But if you do tell her about me, then I will kill her where she stands."

Spyro's eyes grew wide in terror as he glanced from his dragoness to the Dark Master and back.

Cynder noticed the way he was looking around and cocked her head suspiciously. "Spyro? What are you looking at?" She turned around to see nothing but air. She looked back at him with a suspicious stare.

"N-nothing!" Spyro stammered. "I...I just..." He watched as the black dragon's tail blade twitched beside Cynder's neck. "I just was out for a walk outside the cave and ran into a broken tree branch." He hated lying to her, but he had to if he didn't want to lose her.

Cynder narrowed her eyes at him. "That's a serious wound Spyro!" She scolded. "Come on! Let's get you patched up before it gets infected."

Spyro looked up at the Dark Master. The black dragon withdrew his tail blade and nodded.

"Go on Spyro." He said in a taunting tone. "You may as well go with her. You're going to need it." Spyro hung his head, crushed and turned to follow Cynder to the healer's pavilion. Malefor watched him go and his sinister laugh echoed in Spyro's head. "This is only the beginning for you."


	15. Chapter 14

Spyro opened his eyes. His room was dark and cold as it had been for the past weeks. His nights had been plagued with nightmares and torturous visits from the possessed dragon Malefor resided within. The Dark Master would taunt the purple dragon and torment him in any way his twisted mind could think of. Every morning Cynder would find more and more wounds covering his body. Whenever she inquired about it Spyro would just day it was nothing and run away from her. It was getting to the point where Cynder was beginning to worry about him so much she was having the guardians spy on Spyro when he was unaware of their presence. Spyro eventually caught on and did his best to assure them that he was all right.

Then one night, while Spyro lay awake, the Dark Master didn't show up. Spyro was curious as to why the evil dragon hadn't shown himself but he wasn't going to complain. The purple dragon poked his head out of his room and looked around. The halls were quiet, only lit by the lanterns left burning by the guards. Spyro paused for a long moment before darting down the hall. He slowly slipped up to Cynder's room.

"Cynder!" He shouted anxiously. "It's Malefor! He's back! I'm sorry I worried you but I was afraid he would..." The dragoness remained motionless throughout his explanation. "Cynder?" He walked over to her and nearly threw up. His black dragoness lay on the floor, with her throat split wide open, staining the floor with blood. Spyro stood in a state of shock. A laugh echoed throughout the room.

"I warned you not to tell her." The Dark Mater was taking extreme pleasure in watching the young dragon suffer. Spyro shut his eyes tight as tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"Spyro." The purple dragon lifted his head and his heart nearly stopped. Cynder stood before him, with her neck still spliced open and her head slumped to one side. Her eyes were white and she just stared out at him blankly. "Why did you let me die?"

"Cynder! I tried to warn you!" Spyro protested.

"You let me die." Cynder repeated sadly.

"No! Cynder! You have to believe me! I was only trying to protect you!"

"Well you did a great job of that Spyro. You let me die." The dragoness took a step towards him. "I thought you were my friend Spyro. How could you let me die?"

"Cynder I tried to prevent it! Really I did!"

"You let me die!" Cynder's white eyes glared at him. The blood that was on the floor began to move towards Spyro. The purple dragon backed away as the fluid stalked towards him.

"Cynder, I'm sorry!" Spyro found himself backed into a wall with nowhere to go. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"It's too late Spyro." Cynder sighed sadly. "It's too late for me and you." The pool of blood formed tentacles that reached out and grabbed Spyro around his front legs and throat.

"Cynder!" Spyro sobbed, knowing full well what was coming. "I love you!"

"Spare me he act Spyro." The dragoness reared back on her hind legs and hissed loudly. Her wound sealed and Cynder began to grow larger. Spyro felt the energy within him drain out as his dragoness mutated into her adult form.

"Cynder." Spyro shook his head, not wanting to believe what he saw.

"Spyro." Cynder' voice suddenly fell of into the distance. The black dragoness roared and raised her long talons over her head.

"Cynder!" Spyro cried.

"Spyro!" Cynder called and tore the young dragon apart.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!" Spyro shouted and jolted upright on his cushions knocking Cynder head over heals off of the pile. He sat there gasping hard, nearing the point of hyperventilation.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried as she rolled up off the floor and onto her feet. Spyro's head whipped around and he tackled her to the floor. He kissed her with tears streaming from his eyes.

Cynder was caught off guard and was left speechless as he kissed her repeatedly, crying softly and soaking her with his tears. At last Spyro stopped kissing her and looked down at her. "Spyro, what's wrong?" Cynder asked, she was beginning to grow scared herself. She had never seen him this upset before.

"You're alive!" Spyro smiled, grateful that his dream was not a reality. He buried his head in her chest and continued to cry. "You're alive."

"Spyro." Cynder took his head in her paws and stared him in the eyes. "Are you alright? You haven't been yourself since I found you yesterday morning."

Spyro then remembered and looked back at his bandaged wound. A horrible reminder that the Dark Master's existence was very real. But he had his dragoness here with him. Spyro forced a smile and stroked Cynder's cheek. "I'm going to be fine as long as I have you by my side."

"Spyro, I'm worried about you." Cynder whimpered. "It feels like you're falling apart from the inside out."

"I know." Spyro shook his head and looked down at his feet. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately. It just feels like I'm being haunted with memories of the past."

"I know how you feel." Cynder was finally able to get up and nuzzle him comfortingly. "I know all too well how that feels. But it's like I said before: You're not alone. You still have me."

Spyro smiled as his dragoness began licking the salty tears from his cheeks. "You're all I need Cynder. You're my strength when everything feels lost."

Cynder stopped her cleaning and smiled at him. "You've been my strength since the day you saved me from the Dark Master. I will do anything to help you and keep you safe. I'll follow you to the ends of the world."

"Anything?" Spyro tilted his head and gazed into her bright teal eyes.

"Just say the word Spyro." Cynder nodded and licked the last tear off his face.

Spyro sighed. "I don't what's going on with this whole bit about the wolves sudden uprising. But I have a really bad feeling about things. I want to protect you but I'm not sure how at this point."

"Spyro I..." He cut her off with his paw over her mouth.

"Just listen to me Cynder. I want you to trust me."

"But Spyro I do trust you." Cynder protested.

Spyro shook his head. "Cynder you're missing the point. When I say trust me..." He leaned in close and stared hard into her eyes. "I mean, trust me." His voice suddenly grew stern and Cynder shrank back slightly. Her eyes wavered as they locked with Spyro's searching for some sort of explanation. At last she caught on to what he was asking of her and she nodded.

"You can count on me Spyro." She puffed her chest out, to show her determination.

"Thank you Cynder." Spyro smiled feeling some relief in her words. "Come on. Let's gather the others. It's time to head home."

Cynder smiled and nodded as she followed him out of their quarters. She was glad she had Spyro in her life. But deep down she couldn't help feeling a little bit scared. Something was on Spyro's mind and she hated being left out of the loop.


	16. Chapter 15

**Well it's Valentines Day, so I figured I'd let you guys enjoy the next chapter. I personally think this holiday is over rated but why be a grinch and kill the love. We have enough jerks in the world as it is so why should I add to the group. Enjoy.**

"Are you guys all set to head home?" Flame asked as he and Ember marched up to their friends. The dragons were waiting outside the mouth of the cave after having said goodbye to the elders at the main gates. The sun was high in the early morning sky and warming the dragon's scales.

"You bet." Spyro nodded, forcing a smile.

"Hey, has anyone seen Stella or Tremor?" Candice asked, looking around. "They should have been here by now."

"Coming!" The dragons turned to see Stella coming towards them with a black dragon of a bout the same age walking beside her.

Spyro froze as he saw the dragon and looked around to see if his friends had noticed the dragon.

"Sorry we're late." She apologized. "We were finishing a late breakfast."

"Whose your friend?" Spyro dared to asked and thrust his head towards the black dragon.

"Oh." Stella turned and blushed sheepishly. "This is Liun. He was one of the few black dragons that was able to escape during the attack."

"Thanks to you." The black dragon nuzzled her cheek with his nose before turning to the group. "I'm Liun. It's a pleasure to meet you all." He gave a respectful bow. "Thank you all for coming to our aid. If it weren't for you all I probably wouldn't be alive today, or have met this stunning dragoness you brought with you." Stella blushed and turned away slightly.

"Well, you know. We do our part." Sparx yawned and rubbed his knuckles against his chest. The dragons just rolled their eye and laughed.

"By the way Candice." Stella turned towards her friend. "Since when did you become concerned whether or not Tremor was with us?"

Candice felt her face temperature flare up. She gave a huff of frost and turned her nose up. "It's not like I care about that jerk." She scoffed. She was completely unaware that the earth dragon himself was approaching her from behind. "I just feel a guardian's duty should supersede over one's personal comfort. And since Tremor is the only one somewhat competent to become earth Guardian, I suppose I can tolerate him as long as the world doesn't fall apart again." The other dragons looked past her to see Tremor standing a few feet behind her. "But if it were up to me I could live the rest of my days happily without ever seeing that annoying boulder-headed pebble-brained idiot again."

The guardians cringed slightly at her words and glanced at Tremor. The earth dragon stood motionless for a second before a smile spread across his mouth.

"Candy!" He called cheerfully. The ice dragoness jerked in surprise. There was that name again. She turned to face him with a heated look in her eyes.

"Do not call me that." She hissed.

Tremor just continued to smile as he approached her. "How are you sweetie? Did you enjoy your vacation?"

Candice walked up to the green dragon and brought her face so close to his that their noses touched. "And if you ever call me sweetie again..." She pressed her tail blade to his chest, letting the tips hover just over his heart. "I will kill you."

The grin refused to disappear from Tremor's face. "Well I guess it wasn't as restful as it could have been. But it's good to be back and heading home."

"It's about time." Candice sneered. "Maybe now we can finish our training."

"As long as I have beautiful dragoness like you to train with it will all be worth it Candy."

"My name is Candice." The rumbling growl echoed in her throat.

"But Candy just sounds so much sweeter."

"Okay, come on you two." Stella coaxed as she stepped in between the two rivals. "We have a long trip ahead of us. You can argue all the way home if you like, just as long as we're making ground."

"Works for me." Candice sighed. The dragons turned to the west and sprang into the air. Spyro, Sparx and Cynder took the lead followed by Flame and Ember. Stella and Liun followed close behind leaving Tremor and Candice to bring up the rear. As the two of them walked forward to spread their wings, Tremor moved up alongside Candice letting his side brush with hers slightly. The ice dragoness jolted from the contact and glared into his smiling face.

"You know, I really think we could be happy together." He chuckled.

Candice narrowed her eyes at him. She felt somewhat flattered and she did her best to hide her smile. "You say that to all girls."

Tremor nodded. "Yeah. But with you, I mean it."

Candice gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. A moment later the two were in the air and headed home.

As the dragons approached the city of warfang they noticed the unusual amounts of heavy activity high upon the city walls.

"I wonder what's going on?" Cynder pondered as the dragons soared over the top of the walls. The squad of dragons landed in the main courtyard, doing their best to stay out of the way of the moles running back and forth with tools and equipment.

"Is it always this lively?" Liun asked looking around. "It seems really busy and loud here."

"I know it's a little different from home." Stella nuzzled his cheek. "But you'll get used to it. It's not like this all the time."

"I guess the guardians aren't taking any chances in case the wolves decide to attack Warfang." Tremor said as he eyed several moles working in a catapult high up on the wall.

"I don't think the wolves would have a fighting chance of taking on the city of Warfang." Candice pointed out.

Tremor looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Doesn't mean they aren't stupid enough to try."

Much to everyone's surprise Candice giggled. "Yeah, I do suppose you have a point. For once."

"Okay, listen up everyone." Spyro grabbed their attention. "We have a lot of work to do. I want Flame and Ember to report to Terrador and the others about the situation from the eastern city. Stella, you go with them as well and inform them about our new guest." He shot a quick glance at Liun who failed to notice it but Sparx did. "Cynder, you take Candice and Tremor and see if the moles need any help with what they're doing."

"And what about you?" Cynder asked.

"I'm going to go check something out for myself." Spyro replied. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Now let's get to it."

The dragons all went their separate ways, but Sparx hung around. "Hey Spyro, is something on your mind buddy?" He asked as he followed Spyro up the many flights of stairs. "You seem more tense than usual."

"Than usual?"

"You know what I mean. I know when something is on your mind."

Spyro paused and looked around before leaning in close to his brother. "Sparx, you can't tell anyone about this. Do you promise?"

"My lips are sealed." Sparx zipped a finger across his mouth.

Spyro paused. He trusted his brother but sometimes his loud-moth personality got him into more trouble than needed. "Something bad is going to happen soon. I'm not one hundred percent certain what it is, but we all need to be ready for it."

"So why not tell the others then? That way they can be ready as well."

"Because it will only hurt them if they knew. Ignitus once told me: A relaxed paw moves faster than a clenched talon."

Sparx rolled his eyes. "Great. More riddles."

"It means, Sparx, that if we're tense we won't be able to do anything productive to prepare for what's to come. If we're relaxed, then we will be able to move much quicker and stand more of a chance against what ever is about to hit."

Sparx searched his brother, still not fully satisfied with his answer. "Does this have anything to do with that new black dragon?"

Spyro was surprised by the question but he shook his head. "I don't know. I have no idea what's going on right now. I don't know what to think anymore. I just need a little bit of time."

"Well buddy, if you need me, I've always got your back."

Spyro smiled. "I know you do. Thanks Sparx."

"No problem big guy." The dragonfly patter his brother on the snout.

"Why don't you go see if anyone needs some extra help right now. I'll catch up to you when I've found what I needed."

Sparx mouth twisted slightly to one side but he finally nodded. "Alright. Just don't go taking your sweet time with it and make us do all the work."

Spyro chuckled. "I won't. Now go on." He watched as his brother flew back down towards the outer wall. When he was out of sight Spyro spread his wings and flew up straight towards his room. Once inside he went right to his treasure chest in the corner and flung the lid open. He began rummaging through his various armors. He dragged them out, letting them clatter onto the floor at his feet. He was hoping that they would help fit his friends as well.

He was suddenly interrupted by a tap on the door. Spyro whirled around.

"Hello Spyro." The black dragon sneered.

"Malefor!" Spyro gasped in astonishment.

"Preparing for a fight I see." The Dark Master's voice emanated from the black fire hovering around the dragon's feet. Before the purple dragon could do anything the black dragon hissed and charged forward at an incredible speed. He barreled into Spyro, cracking his ribs on impact and knocked him out onto the balcony. As Spyro struggled to get up the black dragon lifted Spyro up onto his feet. Spyro fought back and the two grappled, until Malefor struck with his tail blade again. He cut into Spyro's side, leaving nothing more than a small cut but the pain was enough to break the smaller dragon's concentration. The black dragon forced Spyro to the railing and was about to push him over when he stopped. Spyro looked over his shoulder to see the rest of the city far below. He looked back up to see Malefor's face manifest in the flames above him.

"Foolish dragon. You actually believe you can prepare for what is to come?" He growled furiously. He began to dig his long claws into Spyro's chest and the purple dragon did his best not to cry out in pain. "You will not be able to protect this place or the rest of the world for much longer. I would advise you to give up while I'm still willing to spare your life."

"N-never." Spyro glared daggers at the dragon.

"So you would willingly throw away your own life? Then how about Cynder, hm?"

Spyro's eyes grew wide. "Don't you touch her!" He unleashed a wave of fire at the manifestation and Malefor howled as the flames died away. The black dragon dug his claws in deeper causing Spyro to stop resisting.

"You will suffer for your foolishness young dragon." Malefor raised one hand, ready to strike again.

"Spyro." Cynder's voice called from down the hall. Both dragons stopped and looked at the doorway.

Malefor growled in irritation. He released Spyro who gasped as he fell to the floor of the balcony, bleeding openly. "This isn't over." Malefor growled and disappeared into the shadows. Cynder's footsteps came closer and Spyro began to panic.

"I can't let her see me like this." He gasped. He looked around trying to find some place to hide. At the last moment he dove off the balcony and spread his wings. His chest throbbed as his heart pounded against it. "I'm sorry Cynder." He cried internally as he headed for the healer's pavilion.

"Spyro are you there?" Cynder walked into his room. It was empty except for the various bits of armor scattered about the room. The dragoness cocked her head curiously as she walked over and picked up one of Spyro's helmets. "Spyro, what is going on?" She thought aloud. She looked out towards the balcony. She squinted at something on the ground and walked over to it. As Cynder studied the drops closely her eyes grew wide. "Blood?" Her head shot up as she looked around the room and over the edge of the balcony. The skies were clear, with no signs of dragons coming and going. "What is blood doing on Spyro's balcony?" She thought to herself before taking off running.


	17. Chapter 16

"Thank you." Spyro bowed deeply to the mole healer. "I really appreciate this." He puffed his chest out, stretching his pectoral muscles. They were healed over and he was grateful to the healer, more than usual.

"You're welcome master Spyro." The mole nodded, pleased with the dragon's happiness. The purple dragon bowed and dashed out of the pavilion. The healer was busy cleaning up his supplies when Cynder suddenly burst into the room.

"Has Spyro been here?" She asked, out of breath. The mole jumped and grasped at his chest.

"He was here to have me check up on a wound he received while you lot were away. He left just a little while ago."

"He did?" The answer confused Cynder. "I wasn't expecting him to do that." She sat down and scratched her head still puzzled with herself. As she looked at the floor she noticed several more drops of blood and her heart began to beat faster. She looked up and squinted slightly as the mole continued putting away his tools. "Was he bleeding?" She asked inquisitively. The healer felt a chill run down his spine as he felt Cynder's eyes on the back of his head. He swallowed hard as he turned around.

"He was a little, yes. He said he was going about some sort of project of his and that he had managed to reopen the wound. Thankfully it wasn't too terrible. Judging by what he mentioned before, it's a good thing the wound wasn't fully reopened."

"I see." Cynder said, still somewhat suspicious. "Thank you for taking care of him. I do worry about him a lot."

"So I've heard." The healer adjusted his goggles. "I assure you he's doing just fine."

"Thank you." Cynder bowed and left the pavilion. When he was sure she was gone the mole let loose a deep sigh and slumped into a nearby chair. "My goodness." He gasped and fanned his face with a paw. "That dragoness can be downright terrifying when she's concerned for that boy."

Cynder walked back up to her and Spyro's room. Unfortunately the purple dragon wasn't there. By now it was already late in the afternoon. She had helped the moles on their construction of the catapults up until a half hour ago. She was exhausted as well as the other guardians. She flopped down on the pillow and let her eyes drift around the dark room. Spyro's armor was still strewn about making quite a mess of his normally neat room. Her thoughts drifted to the purple dragon and what he may have been doing the whole day. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Several hours passed before Spyro trudged back to his room. He was covered in a fresh batch of cuts and bruises. He sighed when he saw the black dragoness curled up on his pillow cushions. He wanted desperately to be by her side, but in his condition he was only going to worry her.

"Good night, Cynder." He whispered before slipping down the halls again.

Cynder stirred in her sleep as the sound of his voice reached her. "Spyro." She murmured and rolled over but didn't wake up.

The next morning Cynder woke to the light shining in her eyes. She groaned in irritation and covered her head with her wing.

"Damn, I hate when it does that." She grumbled. Usually she didn't have to worry about it because she was usually tucked against Spyro's body who shielded her from the brightness. It was then she noticed that she was alone. Spyro was nowhere in the room. Not even Sparx was around anywhere. The dragoness began to worry immediately. She got up of the pile of pillows and headed down to the dining hall. Along the way she managed to find Sparx who looked like he was flying in his sleep.

"Sparx! Where have you been? Have you seen Spyro anywhere?"

"Not since yesterday." The dragonfly rubbed his blood-shot eyes.

"I'm really worried about him Sparx. Something is going on and he's not telling me."

"You're not the only one sister." Sparx cracked his neck loudly. "I thought it was his suspicion of that new guy Stella brought back as a souvenir."

"Liun?" Cynder raised her brow. This was the first she had heard that Spyro didn't trust someone. Which was really unlike him to begin with.

"Yeah. I was checking him out when the guardians were interviewing him yesterday."

"You were spying on them?" Cynder seemed shocked.

"Well I wouldn't call it spying. Just helping my best friend out." Sparx put on an innocent look.

Cynder smiled slightly. "Well what did you find out?"

"Nothing really." Sparx shook his head. "It wasn't much of an interview to begin with. The big guys seemed more interested with what Flame had to say and even then he didn't get that much attention from them. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this whole thing with the wolves is a lot bigger than we once thought it was."

"There's got to be something beneath all of this." Cynder shook her head.

"Yeah." Sparx rubbed his chin. "I think we should start with that new guy Liun. Just to make sure he's clean."

"I don't know." Cynder looked at the floor. "I don't know if I feel right about spying on Stella like that."

"Hey, do you want to find out what's going on with Spyro and the big guys up top?"

"Well yeah."

"Then let's get to work." Sparx floated over and lay down on top of the Cynder's head and closed his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to sleep. I took the night shift. You can take the day."

Cynder sighed and shook her head. "The things I do for Spyro."

Over a week passed. Spyro had hardly slept during that entire time and the times he did sleep, his dreams were nothing but nightmares. Malefor had hovered over Spyro's shoulder, day in and day out taunting the young dragon with his words and tormenting him in his sleep. Each morning Spyro would wonder the halls and streets of the dragon city, doing his best to avoid his friends until he could get to the healer. He was thankful he didn't have Cynder around to see him in such a broken state, but he did wonder what she was doing if she wasn't looking for him.

"Man, I don't know how much more of this I can take." Sparx groaned as Cynder flopped down on the pillows late one afternoon.

"What do you mean? It was your idea in the first place." Cynder let the dragonfly slide down her face and plop himself onto her pillow.

"I know, but I didn't think it would be so much work." Sparx clapped a hand against his forehead. Cynder raised a brow and Sparx took instant notice. "It's just so boring when the guy doesn't do anything except hang around Stella and be all mushy mushy flirty flirty with her."

"So are you saying you hope that something does happen to Spyro?"

"No. But I figured where Spyro's concerned there's never a dull moment."

Cynder sighed. She knew the dragonfly had a point. Every bit of trouble she had experienced had revolved around Spyro. She couldn't fully complain because it had brought the two of them closer together as more than just friends but a couple. The quiet moments they shared never seemed to last long enough though.

Cynder sighed and let herself sink into the pillows. As her eyelids began to fall she whispered to herself. "Spyro."

Spyro groaned as he scraped himself off the floor and sighed. Yet another night without any good sleep. The purple dragon had fought the Dark Master all night long until his body succumbed to his exhaustion. Earlier he had done well to beat the dragon Malefor now possessed, but just when it seemed like he would emerge victorious the Dark Master would retreat into the shadows to plague the young dragon's mind with dark magic. Every time, Spyro was forced to relive that dream where he had failed to protect Cynder, each time worse than the last as the Dark Master would put a new and sinister twist on it.

Spyro groaned as he dragged himself to the healer's pavilion.

"Spyro!" The mole exclaimed, seeing Spyro's wounds were much more severe today than they had been in the past couple of weeks. "What in Ignitus's name are you doing every day to show up at my clinic looking like this? It's been the same thing every morning."

"I'm sorry to trouble you." Spyro mumbled sleepily. He turned to leave but the mole grabbed his tail.

"No so fast! As soon as you step through that doorway you are my patient and you don't leave until I think you're fit to." Spyro did what the doctor said and lay down on his work table and closed his eyes as the mole went about patching him up. "It would be one thing if it was you and the candidates showing up each morning but when it's only you I see, I can't help but wonder."

Spyro didn't answer as he went into a light slumber.

"You're going to lose young dragon." Malefor's voice sneered from the darkness around him. "You will fall to me and so will the rest of the world."

"What are you planning Malefor?" Spyro growled. "Are you going to try and destroy the world again?"

"Oh no, not at all." A pair of sinister yellow eyes appeared in the darkness. "Only a purple dragon is capable of bringing about such an event. At this point all I desire is to make you suffer for my defeat. And I think I'll start with your precious Cynder." The Dark Master laughed as the eyes faded into the darkness.

"Spyro." The purple dragon's eyelids twitched. "Spyro, wake up!"

"Huh?" Spyro opened his eyes to see the healer standing before him.

"S-sorry." Spyro yawned. "Are we done?"

"Yes." The mole nodded sternly. "Now the remedy I used on you today is a bit different. If you want it to work properly you need to get yourself some food immediately."

"Yeah." Spyro nodded lazily. "Food would be pretty good right now." He slightly drooled as he trudged out of the clinic. The healer shook his head sadly before cleaning up.

Spyro made his way towards the massive dining hall. When he got there he found the other guardians already there and finishing up their breakfast.

"Hey Spyro!" Flame called. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you in almost two weeks now!" He and the others all bounded over and Spyro immediately found himself surrounded. When they got close enough they noticed Spyro's condition and their smiling faces turned to worry.

"Spyro, what happened to you?" Ember asked as she looked him over.

"Nothing, what are you talking about?" Spyro asked her.

"You look like you've never heard of the word sleep before." Tremor looked him in the eye. The purple dragon had dark bags under his eyes and his eyes were glazed from lack of sleep.

"I've just been working on something." Spyro tried to laugh it off but his friends weren't convinced.

"Yeah right. Somehow I doubt it." Ember scowled at him. "What could you be doing to get so many cuts and bruises? I've heard of serious training before but this would just be insane on your part."

"What?" Spyro looked himself over to see his wounds hadn't fully healed yet. "Shit!" He thought to himself as he tried to come up with a good lie. "I was just out in the woods and fell into a thorn patch."

"Did you just hear that?" Tremor asked as he tilted his head and listened.

"Hear what?" Candice asked.

"I left my bull shit alarm in my room but I could have just sworn I heard it go off." He looked sternly at Spyro.

"Yeah, I have to agree with pebble-brain." Candice nodded. "That's a crock pot if I ever heard one." Spyro was left speechless. He didn't know what to say. He hung his head low as the candidates pushed past him. When they had gone Spyro turned and left the dining hall to be alone. He practically dragged himself up the many flights of steps to the upper towers where the training room was. When he got there he found the candidates waiting for him. He hadn't expected them to be there waiting.

"Oh, are you coming to explain to us what's going on Spyro?" Ember gave him a dirty look.

"I...I..." Spyro tried to look her in the eye but couldn't.

"You what, Spyro." Flame pressed. "What is so important that you can't tell us? The next generation of guardians for our world! Your friends!"

Spyro looked up at them with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry you guys." He shook his head. "I can't say."

"Why not?" Stella demanded as she took a step forward, lightning crackling angrily around her paw. "How can we help you if you won't tell us?"

"You can't help me." Spyro said through clenched teeth.

"Why? Do you not trust us?" Ember demanded.

"No! That's not it!" Spyro protested.

"Then what is it Spyro?" Candice snapped. "We're not hatchlings! We can handle bad news!"

"I can't tell you! It's something I have to deal with on my own!" Spyro shot back.

"So suddenly the purple dragon doesn't need the help of his friends?" Flame spat. "You're not the Spyro I used to know and admire."

"Fine! You want to know what's going on!" Spyro roared and the tower shook. He could feel his temper rising. Just as he opened his mouth to speak an image flashed in his mind. The city of warfang burned before him with the bodies of moles and dragons scattered throughout the land.

"If you tell them I'll kill her." A familiar voice growled.

Spyro clenched his teeth tight as he fell to his knees crying and shaking his head in despair. Immediately his friends felt sorry for pressing him so hard.

"Spyro. Hey man, we didn't mean it the way it sounded." Flame took a step forward.

"Yeah." Ember nodded. "We just worry about you. It's not like you to disappear the way you did for so long."

"You could have at least asked us to give you some space." Stella placed a comforting wing over him.

"I'm sorry you guys!" Spyro sobbed. "I'm not free to say what's been going on! It's just too risky!" Spyro looked up to meet their eyes but instead found himself staring at a black dragon. The dragon smiled.

"Very good Spyro. It's amazing what you'll do to protect Cynder. You'd turn your back on your own friends for her."

"You!" Spyro bellowed with rage. The candidates all jumped in alarm as the purple dragon suddenly rose to his feet with hatred burning in his eyes.

"I would rethink what you're about to do young dragon." Malefor sneered. The black dragon's flames manifested into the Dark Master. "If you attack me, not only will you be putting Cynder's life in danger, but your friends as well."

Nearby, Candice shuddered. She felt a slight chill in the air and it wasn't because of her.

"No!" Spyro bared his teeth and fear gripped the candidates. "No more! I'm done letting you torment me Malefor! It ends here!"

"Oh you think so?" The Dark Master laughed. "Then show me!" With a cry of anger Spyro rushed forward. The guardians all dove out of the way but Spyro stopped before he even got to them. He slammed into Malefor and the black dragon flew back and hit the wall with tremendous force.

"What the hell was that!" Flame gasped as he saw a cloud of dust blow up from the floor.

Tremor narrowed his eyes and began to focus. Slowly he began to see through the illusion. He watched as a black dragon, much larger than himself rose off the floor.

"It's a dragon!" Tremor gasped.

Candice looked at him then to the wall. With a loud cough she sent a spray of ice across the room. Malefor never saw the strike coming and was frozen where he stood. The illusion disappeared and the candidates all gasped as they watched the black dragon struggle to free himself.

"Damn all of you guardians!" The Dark Master snarled. The candidates all shrank back as the evil manifestation loomed over their heads.

"Hey!" Every head turned to face Spyro. "Your fight is with me!" He spat a fireball up at the Dark Master but missed as the manifestation withdrew into the black dragon's body. The dragon's eyes glowed purple and with a mighty roar he broke free of the ice prison that held him. The guardians all assumed offensive stances and snarled at the Dark Master.

Just as they were about to go on the attack there was a loud thud. The dragons turned to see Spyro laying on his side.

"Spyro!" Stella cried and bounded over to him. The other guardians were about to do the same when four figures began to form in the center of the training ring, cutting the dragons off from their friends and their escape.

Malefor laughed as he watched them take several wary steps back from the monsters that stood before them.

"I'll have to congratulate you if you all survive this fight." Malefor sneered.

"Why you!" Tremor whirled around on the Dark Master. The black dragon slammed a paw into the earth dragon's chest sending him flying. Tremor smashed into the ceiling and plummeted to the floor where he lay still.

"Tremor!" Candice screamed when she saw he wasn't getting up. She turned around to see the black dragon fade away into the shadows. The first monster screeched and reared back on her hind legs, slashing the air with her talons.

"Stella! Go get help!" Flame shouted. "We'll hold them off! But hurry!"

"Uh! Right!" The golden dragoness turned and bolted down the stairwell.

"Flame, are you sure we can take them?" Ember gulped nervously.

"Just remember your training." Flame nodded and puffed his chest out and spread his wings displaying his dominance. "We can do it!" His confidence startled the girls for a split second but they quickly followed his lead.

"Yeah!" Ember nodded. "Let's go!"

"The two big ones are mine!" Flame smiled and his body began to glow with fiery energy.

"I'll take the monkey." Ember circled her opponent who eyed her with his one good eye.

"And I'll take..." Candice looked at her opponent who was glaring back at her. "Spyro?"

Just then a loud roar echoed through the city.

Stella puffed hard as she raced down the halls. She was so confused by what was going on. Her mind raced so much she was practically running blind. Her legs ached as she hurried towards the dining hall, hoping to find who she needed. Outside the clouds grew dark, as if responding to the growing conflict and lightning cracked across the sky. Shortly after, the rain began to come down in sheets and buckets.

At last Stella reached the dining hall and skidded to a stop. "Cynder!" She called out desperately. The moles all turned to her, but she found no sign of Cynder. "Has anyone seen Cynder this morning?" She wheezed, almost unable to breath.

"Not yet ma'am." The cook replied as he hurried over to the frantic dragoness. "What seems to be the trouble?"

Stella shook her head. "We've got major problems up in the training hall! We need Cynder's help now!"

"What's going on!" Everyone turned to see Cynder standing just outside the door behind Stella. "I heard my name down the hall. What's going on?"

"Cynder! You have to come to the training hall quick! It's Spyro!"

Cynder's eyes grew wide. "Stella, you go get Terrador and the other guardians. I'll go and see if I can do anything about..." And earth shattering roar cut Cynder off and a beam of fiery energy cut across the sky.

Without wasting another second the black dragoness spread her wings and flew out into the rain and wind towards the upper towers. She landed near the entrance to the training hall and instantly felt a blast of hot air. There was a shrill cry and a howl of pain from inside. The black dragoness rushed towards the entrance. What she saw inside was enough to make the blood in her veins turn to ice.

Ember was latched onto the back of a flailing baboon, clawing at him and burning his fur with her breath. The ape king Gaul howled furiously and beat at her with his staff.

High above, Flame battled it out with Dark Cynder and Malefor the Dark Master. The two larger dragons dove in, swinging talons and tails at the young guardian who was able to dodge them fairly easily.

In the middle of the chaos stood Candice faced off with none other than Dark Spyro. Neither combatant moved. Candice seemed almost too petrified to make a move.

Dark Cynder fired a black fireball. Flame countered with one of his own and the explosion knocked both dragons back. Malefor charged out of the cloud of smoke and struck Flame, knocking him back into the ceiling. The fire breather recovered quickly and bounced back, slamming his horns into the Dark Master's face. The purple dragon snarled and clutched at his nose. Flame unleashed a wave of fire at the same moment Malefor did. The two forces pushed against each other until Cynder joined in with her own dark fire breath. Flame's eyes widened as he began to shrink back and put more force into his blast. The Dark Master narrowed his eyes at the young dragon. Suddenly he and Cynder broke away and the beam burned clean through the wall, before melting the stone. The two adult dragons charged with mouths open and lashed out at Flame. The guardian shrouded himself in a ball of fire at the last moment, burning both dragons as they struck him. Flame hit the wall and the stone gave way. The dragon's body fell to the floor and the rocks came crashing down on top of him.

The Dark Master and Cynder snarled, pleased with their work. Cynder dove down at Ember who had just about brought Gaul down completely. The ape king was struggling to rise to his feet. Ember reared her head back, flames licking at the edge of her lips preparing to deliver the final blow. It was then that Dark Cynder snatched Ember up in her talons and hurled her towards her fallen mate. Ember bounced off the pile of rocks as the fire blast hit the ceiling, burying both fire dragons.

Candice broke her stare from Dark Spyro as she watched her friend fall beneath the pile of stone. Her jaw fell open as she stared at the recovering ape king and two evil dragons before returning her eyes to Dark Spyro who seemed to be looking right into her soul.

"Why can't I move!" She screamed in her head. "Am I really that terrified of Spyro? What is wrong with me!"

"Candice! Run!" Cynder cried. But instead of running, Candice lunged for an all-out strike on Dark Spyro. The corrupted dragon narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth. He side-stepped as the dragoness's talons missed him by inches. He clamped his jaws down hard on her foreleg, causing her to cry out in pain. Candice continued to scream as the dark dragon proceeded to tear the flesh from her bones. Suddenly there was a loud snap as her foreleg broke. The dragoness went into shock from the pain. Dark Spyro hurled her into the wall, cracking the stone on impact. The dragoness felt the wind rush out of her body and her eyes widened as her head snapped back, hitting the wall as well. She fell to the floor and coughed hard, trying to regain her lost wind.

Dark Spyro rose into the air and opened his mouth wide. A ball of electrical energy began to form, growing larger and larger by the moment. Candice saw what was coming and struggled to get up with her three good legs and her shredded, broken limb tucked to her body. She had just about gotten up when one of her hind legs gave out and she crumbled to the floor.

Off to the side Tremor began to regain consciousness. His eyes adjusted to the light and began to focus. Cynder stood over him, dripping wet from the rain, frozen in horror. The earth dragon shook the stars and checkers out of his head and looked up. Halfway across the room Candice was collapsed upon the floor, blood spilling from her shredded forearm. The dragoness was trying to move away from the dark dragon preparing to fire a concentrated bolt of lightning.

"Candice!" Tremor suddenly sprang to his feet, ignoring the pain that coursed through his body.

"No Tremor! Don't!" Cynder shouted as the earth guardian charged Dark Spyro. Just before he struck his target, Gaul stepped in and struck the dragon with his staff. Tremor rolled across the floor and recoiled from the hit. He charged again as the ape king raised his staff and swung with the intention of impaling the young dragon. Tremor smirked and swung his tail slightly, shifting the ground beneath his own feet, allowing him to evade the attack. As the dragon rushed past the ape king he swung his tail club, connecting with his target's forehead, knocking him on his back.

"No!" Tremor roared and seemed to glow with a swirling green energy, Cynder and Candice had never seen before. Candice suddenly felt as if time had slowed down as Dark Spyro unleashed his attack. The ice dragoness closed her eyes and covered herself with her wings. There was loud screech and thunderous boom. After a second Candice opened her eyes and peeked out from behind her wings.

Tremor stood in front of her with his wings covering him, and bracing against a wall of rock. The dragon struggled against the intense force of lightning until it became too much. Dark Spyro forced more power into his shot and pierced through the wall of stone. The bolt cut through the tough membrane of Tremor's wings and struck him in the chest.

"I...I-impossible!" He gasped in wide-eyed shock. The bolt combusted and the explosion shook the tower. Tremor's body shot like piercing rocket through the wall of the tower and through several more of the lower structures before smashing into the earth far below.

"No, Tremor." Candice squeaked in horror. She had never seen this sort of power before. Dark Spyro turned to the ice dragoness once more and began to charge up another shot.

Gaul was getting to his feet and rubbing his head when suddenly he jolted. Dark Spyro paused what he was doing and every head turned towards the ape king.

"That. Is. Enough!" Cynder growled through clenched teeth with tears streaming down her cheeks. She withdrew her tail blade from the middle of Gaul's back and the training dummy faded away. The Dark Master and Dark Cynder howled in anger and dove for the dragoness. A shudder ripped through Cynder's body. She turned her head to the sky and let out a piercing cry. The sound caused the Dark Master and her evil doppelganger to stop dead in midair and clutch at their heads. Cynder increased the pitch of her cry and the two dragons fell to the floor with a loud crash before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Cynder sucked in a deep breath of air and turned towards Dark Spyro. She had encountered him twice before but never in a battle of powers. The corrupted dragon stood on his hind legs and spread his wings wide. Cynder extended herself to her full body length and gave an bone rattling roar. Her eyes seemed to almost glow and her tail lashed at the air. Dark Spyro smiled and opened his mouth, gathering power from all four of his elements. Cynder spread her wings as a powerful purple aura surrounded her.

"Cynder." Candice whispered in astonishment. She had never seen the dragoness use this new power before.

Just as Dark Spyro was preparing to unleash his attack, Cynder struck first. She opened her jaws as wide as she could and a beam of pure convexity struck the evil entity head on. The four elements Dark Spyro had gathered exploded. Bolts of lightning cut through the walls before the flames turned the rook into a furnace. Candice screamed from the intense heat. Then the ice element froze over the tower, putting the flames out. Then the massive earth bullet Dark Spyro had charged shattered the ice. Candice covered herself as the jagged shards plummeted towards her.

Cynder gave one final push and cut through Dark Spyro. The training dummy vanished giving Cynder only seconds to react. The dragoness leaped into the air immediately creating a whirl wind. The gust blew the debris away from Candice and lifted into the air. When she was high enough, Cynder stopped and tore the wind funnel apart, sending debris flying in all directions. The chunks of frozen stone flew off into the distance and she gasped for breath. As she descended towards the training hall floor she spotted Stella running up the steps with Hunter close behind her and the guardians beating their wings fast to the top level.

The black dragoness landed beside Candice and inspected her injuries. The ice dragoness was pretty shaken from the whole ordeal. Hunter walked over and scooped the dragoness up in his arms, staggering slightly from her weight but being gentle enough not to injure her more.

"Is everyone alright?" Terrador asked and he landed in the middle of the room. Before anyone could answer, a bright light began to shine from under a pile of stones. There was a loud crack and then Ember burst free. She panted heavily before looking around.

"Flame!" She cried and began to dig him out. Cyril walked over and helped her dig out the unconscious fire guardian. He had several cuts, and bruises but didn't look too serious.

"Where's Tremor?" Volteer asked looking around.

"Tremor?" Candice whimpered. Then she came flying out of her trance. "Tremor!" She struggled against Hunter's grasp and looked over his shoulder. The cheetah walked over and looked down at the city below. He could just barely make out the holes that had been punched through several of the buildings and the crater at the very bottom.

"What happened here?" Cynder asked as she walked over to Ember who stood over Flame.

"I'm still not sure myself." The pink dragoness replied warily. She began to tell the story of how they had run into Spyro in the dining hall and how they had approached him in the training hall, how Spyro had seemed to have gone crazy and charged them only to reveal an invisible black dragon whose flames manifested into a dragon that looked a lot like one of the ones they had just battled.

"This is much more dire than we had originally thought." Hunter's ears flattened against his skull.

"What do you mean?" Candice asked, breaking her attention from the city below.

"Never mind that now." Hunter shook his head and looked around. "Where is Spyro?"

"He's right there." Ember turned to where the purple dragon lay, but her voice trailed off. "At least, he was."


	18. Chapter 17

"What!" Cynder shrieked. "Malefor is back? But how is that possible!"

"Calm down Cynder!" Terrador ordered. "Getting so worked up won't help to fix this problem."

"What's not to get worked up about!" Cynder snapped. "That dragon is the cause of so many problems, the reason why so many of us carry the pain of the past to this day! He nearly destroyed the world and all of us with it!"

"Cynder! Calm down!" Terrador bellowed and slammed a massive paw on the floor, causing the tower to sway. The black dragoness relaxed about three scales but fell silent. "We chose not to act because revealing to the world that the Dark Master has returned would cause wide-spread panic and chaos. And that's just what Malefor feeds on."

"Do we know anything about what's going on?" Ember asked stepping in to try and cut the tension down a bit.

"It is unclear what the Dark Master intends at this point." Hunter shook his head. "We may suspect that he is out seeking revenge against Spyro and Cynder for his earlier defeat. But anything beyond that is a mystery to us."

"What I want to know..." Flame groaned grabbing everyone's attention. "Is that guy even capable of attempting to destroy the world again?"

"Thankfully that power only resides within the purple dragons." Volteer frowned. "And purple dragons only. My theory is that the Dark Master may be trying to get to Spyro and have him initiate another cataclysmic event such as before."

"Which is why we need to find Spyro immediately." Hunter said, a savage growl resonating within his throat.

"Ugh. Where am I?" Spyro moaned. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was back in his own room. Outside the wind howled and the rain beat against the wet stone.

"It's about time you woke up." Spyro froze at the sound of the familiar voice.

He was about to get up when he felt a heavy paw slam down on his back, pinning him. Malefor shook his head as he let his claws dig into Spyro's back causing the purple dragon to cry out in pain. "Young dragon, you never now when to accept defeat. I told you not to tell your guardian friends but you went ahead and defied my words anyways." The black dragon reached up and grabbed a crystal dangling from his neck. It was long, slender and jagged. "Even if I do not have the power to summon the golems of the deep, or even the Destroyer, I will have my former power back!" He snapped the crystal from its chain and held it delicately in his talons. "But I'll be sure to take it back in the most slow and painful way possible.

Spyro's eyes widened as a flash of lightning caught the tip of the crystal giving it a deadly glow. "No! Cynder!" He screamed in his mind. "Cyn-der!

Cynder's eyes grew wide and her pupils suddenly dilated.

"Spyro!" She gasped and her heart suddenly began to race out of control. The dragoness staggered and fell against Terrador's leg.

"Cynder! What's wrong!" The earth guardian asked in alarm as he watched the young dragoness clutch at her chest.

"I-it's Spyro! He's in trouble!" She forced herself to stand again. "I have to find him!" She took off running down the stairs.

"The Dark Master is already here!" Terrador shouted to the other dragons. "We will sound the alarm for the city. You young ones need to go and get the refugees to shelter." Every head nodded. "Good. Now go! We are short of time!"

Malefor pressed the spearhead of the crystal into Spyro's back. The stone instantly cut through his scales and slipped into his warm flesh. The purple dragon screamed, trying to thrash about as the Dark Master slowly pushed the shard deeper in.

"Good! Feel the pain! This is nothing compared to what you will experience when I finish with you!" Spyro's eyes widened and his cries grew louder as the Dark Master began to twist the jagged shard around inside his back. Tears began to flow from Spyro's eyes and he kicked his hind legs to try and get away, but he was held fast. "You're not going anywhere!" He pressed the shard in deeper and suddenly Spyro felt paralyzed. His screams died off and his legs went limp. His body began to convulse, trying to get air and his cries turned to squeaks as he tried to breathe.

"This is one of those many nerve points on a dragon that are hard to hit unless you have pinpoint accuracy." Malefor explained as he continued to twist the shard in a casual manner. By now, Spyro's blood was flowing freely and soaking into his floor. "It's much easier to hit when your prey is lying still or has their back to you in an unsuspecting manner."

Spyro turned his head and glared at the Dark Master who laughed. "See, even now you refuse to give up." He laughed and tweaked the crystal again. "And now..." The black dragon leaned down and lowered his voice letting his words stab into Spyro's heart. "Now, as I promised, I'm going to kill that precious dragoness of yours that you stole from me."

Suddenly something snapped inside Spyro. He reared back, knocking the black dragon off balance and let loose a blood curdling roar. Spyro turned and glared at the Dark Master. "I won't let you hurt Cynder! You'll never touch a single scale on her ever again! Not while I still have a breath in my body to stop you."

"Then let me change that!" Malefor lunged for Spyro. The purple dragon tried to side step but the shard in his back slowed him down. Malefor tackled him to the floor, stepping on his neck and letting his claws dig into the young dragon's muscles. "Do yourself a favor and give up!"

"If I had given up, I would have never beaten you before." Spyro spat. "And I'll do it again!" He turned his head and spewed a wave of fire into the Dark Master's face. The dragon howled and clawed at his burning face. Spyro staggered to his feet. The Dark Master stumbled around, pawing at his face and then suddenly stopped. He looked back at Spyro as his skin healed over. "Just kidding."

"Spyro!" Both dragons turned their heads towards the doorway.

"Cynder!" Spyro shouted. "Get out of here! Run! It's the Dark Master!"

"Perfect." The black dragon smiled and his tail blade twitched excitedly. Spyro's heart skipped a beat as the dragon lunged towards his dragoness. Suddenly time slowed down. Spyro leaped forward in and placed himself in front of Cynder. His time control wavered then quit before he could take up a defensive position. The black dragon's tail blade stabbed into his shoulder and he roared in pain as he fell back on top of Cynder.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried. Malefor stood over them and struck at Cynder again. Spyro threw himself on top of her as the blade cut into his wing. Malefor struck again and again, each time aiming for Cynder but wounding Spyro further. Spyro cried out with each blow but forced himself to endure the pain. His urge to protect the dragoness gave him strength. At last Malefor had had enough. He raised his tail blade with the flat side ready to hammer in the crystal for the final killing blow. "Now, to end your pitiful life!"

Cynder's eyes grew wide as she looked over Spyro's bleeding shoulder. "No!" She screamed and coughed out a spray of venom. The Dark Master bellowed as he fell onto his back, tearing at his face. His flesh burned and the wretched smell filled the air.

"Thanks...Cynder." Spyro wheezed as he got to his feet.

"Spyro, why didn't you tell me?" She asked, ready to burst into tears as she looked him over.

"I'll explain later." Spyro turned back to Malefor who was trying to recover but the toxin was slowing his progress. "I can't fight him like this." Spyro sighed and stood on his hind legs as much as he could without making the crystal embed itself into his back more.

"Oh my god! Spyro!" A sickened look spread across Cynder's face as she saw how deep the shard was.

"Can you do anything about it?" Spyro gasped.

"No!" Both dragons turned to see Malefor look at them with blood-red eyes. His dark aura spread out and engulfed the black dragon's body. Spyro moved in front of Cynder more as the manifestation of the Dark Master reared his massive head in a loud roar. "I will not be beaten by a pair of hatchlings again!"

"Give it up Malefor!" The dragons turned to see Terrador drop from the sky and hover just beyond the railing. "If you try and go after Spyro and Cynder, you will face the wrath of the guardians once more. And I guarantee it will be the last this time."

"I would like to see you try old timer!" Malefor turned to face him. Just then Cyril and Volteer dropped down beside him along with Stella, Ember and Flame. "You old dragons are no match for me! And now that I have a younger, better fit body, I can..." His voice trailed off. He felt the taste of mercury in his mouth and blood trickled down the black dragon's back and from his open mouth. Malefor turned to see Cynder had plunged the crystal shard into his host's back. Her paws bled as the razor sharp edges of the crystal cut into her skin. The young black dragon coughed as more blood spattered against the railing.

"You little bitch!" The Dark Master roared, feeling his host's body begin to give out. "You've stood against me for the last time!" The manifested dragon raised a claw and struck Cynder across the face, sending her flying against a wall.

Spyro felt his blood boil as he watcher her slump to the ground. "That does it!" Spyro roared and his body began to glow with convexity. His blood that trickled from his wounds seemed to stop and hover in the air around him. "I'm going to kill you for good Malefor!" He charged up a blast of the purple energy and fired, letting it burn through the black dragon. The Dark Master and the dragon bellowed in agony and the manifested Malefor began to dissipate.

Spyro saw the dragon collapse to the floor and the dark energy around him faded away. "Do you really think that this is the end of it?" Malefor scoffed. "No, not by a long shot young dragon. I have a plentiful supply of hosts that I can use for a body, any time I choose. I will be back soon, and I will make you and the rest of the world suffer!" With that the last of the dark magic disappeared. Spyro panted heavily and collapsed onto his hind legs.

The black dragon coughed and his sides heaved as he lay dying on the floor. Spyro dragged himself over and looked down at Niner.

"Th-thank you." The black dragon whispered. "Maybe now...I can rest...."

"You'll be all right." Spyro placed a paw on the dragon's shoulder trying to comfort him in his final moments.

Niner shook his head sadly. "No. I'm not going to make it." He wheezed. "Just as well. I need to pay for my sins. And maybe...i-if I'm lucky... I'll be able to see my best friend again."

Spyro sighed and watched as the tears rolled down Niner's cheeks. The black dragon closed his eyes as he felt his end come. "I'm sorry Blaze." He whimpered. "I'm so sorry."

Spyro watched sadly as the dragon's sides rose and then fell one final time. He dragged himself over to Cynder's body and lay down next to her. She didn't move but was still breathing, much to Spyro's relief.

"Thank the ancestors." Spyro gasped as he felt the loss of blood take over his world and fade to black.


	19. Chapter 18

Cynder lay next to the purple dragon and dabbed his head with a cool, damp towel. Spyro hadn't fully woken up yet after a couple of days. The stress and loss of blood had finally taken its toll on the young dragon, weakening him severely.

"Oh, Spyro." Cynder shook her head sadly. "Why do you put yourself through these things?" The purple dragon groaned in his sleep and his body shivered. Cynder draped a wing over him to help shield against the chill. Outside it was still raining, though not as heavily.

Cynder looked up as she heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. The rhythm was staggered and the dragoness rose to her feet and spread her wings as she took up a fighting stance. Much to her surprise, Candice appeared around the corner. When she saw Cynder she stopped.

"Sorry, is this a bad time?"

Cynder sighed and sat back down. "No, not at all." She shook her head. "I didn't recognize the footsteps so I wasn't sure."

Candice only smiled softly. "It's really cute how protective you are when it comes to Spyro." Cynder blushed slightly as Candice hobbled into the room. "How's he doing?"

"Not so good." Cynder sighed. "He's had a fever that I've been trying to control but he seems so exhausted from whatever he may have been doing."

Both dragons sighed heavily. Cynder looked the ice dragoness over. Her shredded foreleg had been bound up many times, making a thick cast. The limb had been splinted to her side so the bone could set properly forcing the dragoness to get around on three legs. Her left back leg was also splinted but this injury wasn't as severe as her front leg.

"Speaking of well being, how are you doing?" Cynder asked.

Candice gave a slight chuckle. "Honestly, I've felt better. But all things considered, I'm just peachy."

Cynder cracked a smile. Spyro groaned again and she continued to pat his head with the damp towel.

"Cynder, can I ask you something?" Candice looked down at Spyro who seemed to settle down as Cynder stroked his cheek.

"Sure."

"Back there in the training hall. Those enemies we fought. Who were they?"

Cynder froze for several moments. The memory came flooding back to her.

"You already know about the Dark Master." She sighed heavily. The dragoness Flame fought was me."

"You?" Candice cocked her head to the side.

"Yes. You can ask anyone around you and they will tell you what my full title is. I'm known as the Black Dragon Cynder, Terror of the Skies. That is what I used to be when I worked for the Dark Master."

"You worked for the Dark Master?" Candice nearly fell over. "But how? You're nothing like that creature we saw in the training room."

"I know." Cynder nodded and went on to tell about how Gaul, the ape king they had fought, had taken her egg in the night of the raid on the dragon temple. How the Dark Master poisoned her with his powers and turned her into the fire breathing beast the candidates had seen in the training hall, and how Spyro was the one who had beaten her in combat and freed her from Malefor's spell. Candice listened to the whole story with her jaw hung open and her eyes wide. At last after almost an hour of explanations Cynder concluded her story.

"That's insane." Candice shook her head as she stared at the floor. "I had no idea the Dark Master was that...horrible."

"You have no idea." Cynder sighed. "If it weren't for Spyro I may have joined them again. But he never stopped believing in me." She looked down at her purple dragon and kissed him on the forehead. In his sleep Spyro growled happily. "And when we faced the Dark Master, I never stopped believing in him."

"So that's why you and Spyro have such a tight bond." Candice looked down at Spyro then back to Cynder. "You really are a lucky dragoness Cynder."

Cynder chuckled. "Yeah. Though many times I question why. After everything I've done to Spyro and the rest of the world, I usually think the opposite."

"No way!" Candice thrust her head from side to side. "Everyone deserves a second chance. It wasn't like you asked for your past to happen. It just did. You deserve a sweet guy like Spyro."

Cynder sighed again. "I try and be worthy of him. But in times like this, I do wonder if I'm really that precious to him as he is to me."

"Don't think like that." Candice bumped her head against Cynder's shoulder. "I would be pretty upset if you left Spyro just because you thought you weren't worthy enough. So you had better stay with him, you got that sister?"

Both girls giggled. "Yeah, okay. I will." Cynder nodded.

"No! That has to be a promise." Candice extended her tail. Cynder looked at it for a second then wrapped her tail around Candice's. They leaned in and bit down on each other's tail blade, sealing the promise. Satisfied with their deal Candice turned towards the door. "I'm going to go check on Tremor, see how he's doing."

"Okay, just don't kill each other." Cynder laughed.

Candice smiled over her shoulder. "No promises." She chuckled.

"Candice!" Cynder called. The ice dragoness stopped and turned. "If you ever see Spyro the way you did back there. Don't try to fight him. Just run." Candice stood still as she remembered the terrible white eyes that seemed to cut right through her and a chill ran down her spine. She nodded and turned back down the hall.

As she made her way up the long stairwell she glanced down at the city below. The rain was a still heavy but the wind was no longer blowing, making the wetness tolerable. As candice watched the guards march through the rain, she saw several buildings with their holes being patched up by the construction teams. The dragoness followed the line of destruction until her eyes came to rest on the impact site where Tremor had hit. When the guards had gotten to him he wasn't breathing and it had taken a long time to resuscitate him. Moving the earth dragon had been a delicate process since many of the bones in his body had been broken. Candice's mind drifted back to the battle in the training hall when Tremor had thrown himself in front of Dark Spyro's attack. It was a valiant side of him she hadn't never seen before, but wasn't too sure that it was for the best.

Meanwhile, up in his room, Tremor struggled to his feet. He had been awake for a couple hours, testing his body out to see what was broken. His injuries had been patched up and his chest was heavily bandaged from the burn he had received from Dark Spyro's attack.

At last he felt confident enough to attempt to get out of bed. As he rose his bones and joints seemed to groan against each other like old machinery. As he straightened his back out he heard several loud cracks along his spine.

"Ah, that felt good." He breathed and shook himself slightly. He grunted as his broken ribs burned inside him. "Okay, that didn't feel as good." He took a shaky step forward, letting his weight move to his front leg. Then he dared another step. He continued this process around his room until he was confident that he could walk steadily on his own. His body ached and his wounds throbbed, but he didn't mind.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tremor jerked and turned towards the doorway to see Candice standing there watching him.

"Nothing. I was just walking around."

"You should be resting!" Candice scolded as she entered.

"Yes, you may come in." Tremor rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that." Candice brought her face right up to Tremors. He could see the dragoness was serious. "You need to regain your strength or your wounds won't heal properly. Now lie back down."

"I can take care of myself Candy." Tremor brushed by her. "I appreciate your concern but it isn't needed."

"Excuse me?" She whirled on him and stopped him in his tracks. "Not needed? You nearly got yourself killed back there! That shot had my name written all over it and you took it for me to save my life! Why wouldn't I be concerned for someone who just saved my life? The least you can do is be gracious you have someone who is willing to care for you!" Tremor hung his head and stared at his paws. "You of all dragons should know what it's like to lose someone close to you. I know as guardians we get thrown into dangerous situations but purposely trying to get yourself killed won't bring Gaia back!"

Tremor felt his heart tie itself into a knot. He sighed heavily and looked back over his shoulder. "But that's exactly why I wanted to save your life." Candice's head jerked back. Tremor turned towards the door and walked away leaving Candice in a state of shock.

"Wait! Tremor!" She called but he ignored her. Candice clenched her teeth and her tail lashed at the air furiously. "Damn it!" She shouted and fired an ice bullet into his fireplace, freezing the chimney solid.

Spyro moaned in his sleep. His head spun and his body felt as if it were frozen. He shivered like a leaf in the wind. His teeth chattered and his heart raced. All at once he felt something fall across his body. The chill went away and he began to feel warmer. Spyro opened his eyes and tuned his head slightly, just enough to see his black dragoness staring down at him.

"H-hey Cynder." He murmured.

"Hey Spyro." She whispered softly and stroked his cheek with the back of her paw. "How do you feel?"

"C-c-cold." Spyro curled himself into a tighter ball. Cynder looked at the fire place and spat at ball of black fire into it. The wood burned and the room was shrouded in a beep purple light. Cynder curled her tail around Spyro's and pulled him closer. "Th-thanks Cynder."

"If you have a moment, I want to ask you something." Cynder leaned her head over Spyro's neck

"S-sure." Spyro let his eyelids droop. His dragoness felt warm against his scales.

"Why didn't you tell us about the Dark Master?"

Spyro was silent for a long time. "Because...I was scared."

"About what? You know we would have helped you in any way we could have."

Spyro sighed and his eyelids drooped a little more. "Because he would have killed you."

"Me?"

"Back at the eastern city. When you found me on the steps of the dragon temple. That was when I first discovered that dragon was the Dark Master. You couldn't see or hear him, but I could. I wanted to tell you. I really did. But he put his blade to your throat and said that if I told you, he would kill you on the spot."

A chill ran down Cynder's back and she huddled closer to Spyro. Everything seemed to make sense now. His constant avoiding her and the other guardians, the blood stains he had left behind, the visits to the healer every morning which she had recently found out.

"I'm sorry Spyro. I should have trusted you more."

Spyro shook his head weakly. "No. You did trust me. If you had gone out looking for me you would have been in more danger. I'm glad you didn't." He let out another sigh and let his eyelids fall completely. "I'm feeling kind of tired now, so I'm going to get some sleep."

Cynder smiled and nuzzled him slightly, being careful not to poke him with her long horns. "Alright, go on. You deserve it." She kissed him softly and Spyro shuddered slightly. "Just do me a favor."

"Hm?"

"Dream about me."

Spyro smiled at the thought of that and drifted off to sleep. It didn't take long before he was sound asleep. Cynder smiled and licked his cheek.

Just then Sparx flew in. "Hey Cynder, how's Spyro..."

"Shush!" Cynder hissed. "I just got him to sleep! If you wake him up, I won't be helped responsible for what I'm gunna do to you!"

The dragonfly gulped and cringed. "Sheesh! Sorry." He fluttered over and lay down next to the two dragons and the three of them fell asleep together.

The guards on far wall held their spears at attention as they marched up and down the line. None of them were particularly fond of the rain, but were willing to do their duty none the less. The last two days had dragged on slowly with nothing but the latest gossip going around to keep them company.

All at once one of the guards shouted. "We have contacts coming in from the west!" The guards charged to the wall and armed their catapults. Off in the distance they could see lights and torches moving across the ground. The captain adjusted his goggles in the rain and squinted.

"Hold your fire! They're friendlies!" The guards relaxed. The torches drew closer and soon came to a stop just below the outer wall. The lead torch twitched before popping up, revealing a grey-haired, long snouted creature, bearing a striking resemblance to the moles themselves. The manweersmall sniffed the air and turned hi nose up towards the captain and his guards.

"I am Mole-Yair! Leader of the Manweersmalls." He called up. "My people require shelter. We bring news of great importance to the guardians."


	20. Chapter 19

Tremor walked down the halls of the upper towers. His body felt heavy and each step made him ache even more. He had been wandering about for a couple hours now. He thought about going back to his room, but something kept him from turning back. Was it that he didn't want to be resting when he knew he should be? Or was it because he knew the ice dragoness was probably waiting for him still? Tremor shook those thoughts from his head. He didn't want to worry about anything or anyone right now.

Tremor was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Candice up ahead. The dragoness stood looking out over the railing at the moles activities far below. It wasn't until she noticed him approaching that he spotted her. He was hesitant to walk over to her but not wanting to appear as a coward he stopped next to her. Neither said anything to each other and just stared out into the distance. Both dragons continually made side glances at the other until they both turned at the same time.

"I'm sorry." They said simultaneously and chuckled in embarrassment.

"You first." Tremor thrust his head at her.

"No you." Candice shook her head.

"Ladies first." Tremor insisted.

Candice raised a brow skeptically. This was yet another side of Tremor she had never seen before. She sighed and stood as upright as she could on her good legs. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what I said back there. I was out of line."

"Well so was I." Tremor smiled softly. "I should have taken your concern graciously. And I'm sorry that I didn't." He gave a slight bob of his head. "Your concern is deeply appreciated. Thank you."

Candice blushed slightly. "Well I was worried that you'd hurt yourself again. You already do so much and you've had so much happen to you in the past eight months. You're a strong dragon Tremor. And I would hate to see that go to waste."

Tremor just laughed. "Like I said Candy, I can take care of myself. But I'm glad you think that anyways. It means more than you know."

The compliment was enough for Candice to let the nickname slide. She smiled slightly and looked down at Tremor's bandaged chest. She had remembered seeing the horrible wound when he lay in the medical clinic when she was being patched up. Miraculously the bolt hadn't pierced through his heart and had just managed to burn through his thick pectoral scales.

"Does it hurt?" Candice asked as she eyed his wound.

Tremor looked down and gave an amused laugh. "Yeah. It does."

Candice looked up into his emerald eyes. "You should really try to rest and let it heal up."

"I've had worse." Tremor tried to boast and puffed his chest out only causing himself the cringe in pain. "But yeah, you're probably right." He turned back the way he had come then looked back over his shoulder.

Candice jumped and gave a startled squeak when Tremor wrapped his tail around hers. The touch felt slightly uncomfortable due to its suddenness but it left a soft tingle running up her spine.

"You could join me you know." Tremor invited. "That leg of yours doesn't look much better either."

"I don't know." Candice blushed and turned away from him.

"Come on, we can get a fire going and then we don't have to worry about being in the cold. If you won't let me catch a cold then you're not allowed to either."

Candice giggled. "Alright. I'll lie down with you. But only because I want to make sure you get your rest. Got it?"

"If you say so Candy." Tremor raised his brows and smiled, knowing full well what she was trying to say. As the two walked along Candice felt her mind wander to what they were going to do.

"I can't believe I'm actually going to hang out with Tremor. In his room of all places." She thought to herself. "Well I wouldn't call it hanging out. More like making sure a friend is okay." Then she paused. "Well, I wouldn't really say we're friends. Are we?" She glanced at him for a moment before returning to her private conversation. "I guess you could say we're friends. I mean, he has been less of an asshole to me lately. And he saved my life the other day, plus we spent time together in the eastern city. But does that really make us friends?" She glanced at him again. Despite the darkness of the clouds, his eyes seemed to glow slightly. "I guess we are friends." Her expression hardened. "But we're just friends, and nothing more. There's no way we could ever become anything more than friends. We don't get along well enough for that to happen. Plus he's nothing that I would look for in a guy to begin with. But here I am about to sit beside a warm fireplace with him as if we were a couple." Then she froze.

"What's wrong? You alright there Candy?" Tremor asked as he turned to face her.

"Um...perhaps my room would be a better place for a fire."

"Oh man, this is not good." Flame shook his head in despair. "Not good at all." The young fire dragon had completely recovered due to Ember's special healing techniques. And now the two stood alongside the other guardians and Hunter, listening to the news Mole-Yair had brought them.

"Don't despair yet young guardian." Cyril said and puffed his chest out. "We have not yet resolved this problem so you need not fret over it unnecessarily."

"But Flame is right." Terrador pointed out. "This news is very disturbing indeed." He looked down at Mole-Yair who stood before the guardians.

"I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news." The manweersmall shook his head sadly. "But my people lost their home when the Dark Master and his forces invaded many days ago. From what some of our scouts were able to discover, the Dark Master is looking for something deep within the volcano. Something evil."

"What is he talking about?" Flame asked.

"Can it be? Is Malefor planing on awakening..." Volteer looked at his fellow guardians.

"If he is, then we will be in for a very rough fight." Terrador growled. He looked back to Mole-Yair. "We thank you for bringing this information to us. If there is anyway we can help you and your people out, do not hesitate to ask."

"You are very kind." Mole-Yair nodded. "I would request my people remain here for a short time so they may recover from their long journey. Perhaps we may be of assistance if there is a battle to come, hm?"

"Your assistance will be very much appreciated." Terrador bowed his head slightly. "But we would not allow those who come to us seeking help to be harmed."

"Oh, you need not worry my friend." Mole-Yair chuckled. "We are due for some payback to the Dark Master, seeing as how Spyro has saved my people on more than one occasion."

"I thought that was Sparx." Flame raised a brow.

Mole-Yair laughed again. "I suppose that little dragonfly did do his part."

"We should begin making preparations soon." Hunter interrupted. "If we are going to be attacked, then we will need every element at our disposal to stop this foe."

"Agreed." Terrador nodded. "Hunter, I would ask that you send your falcons across the land. Alert any other neighboring tribes of what is coming, but be sure not to mention Malefor or there will be panic throughout the land."

"Understood. I will have Meadow and any other healers we may have tend to the young guardians to see that they are back up to full strength soon." Hunter bowed and dashed out of the temple.

"Volteer. You will be in charge of assisting in the city's defenses. Cyril, help tend to the refugees. If there is anything at all that they require, we must make sure they are comfortable."

"No need to worry about us too much." Mole-Yair waved a paw. "We manweersmalls may be small and somewhat fragile, but we are no less capable of making it through tough times."

"What should we do Terrador?" Flame asked.

The earth guardian paused. After a long sigh he turned towards the hall. "Flame. I want you to come with me."

"Uh, okay." Flame raised a brow. He and Ember exchanged a look. Something about the guardian's tone didn't sit right in their stomachs.

"Ember, you may come too if you wish." Terrador continued. "But be warned, what I have to tell you may not be pleasant."

"I wouldn't leave Flame to do anything on his own." The dragoness said sternly and puffed her chest out.

Terrador smiled at the young couple and nodded. Seeing the determination in their eyes gave him hope. "Very well then. Follow me."

Cynder looked around the halls. She had never seen this place before, yet there was a slight familiarity about it. Everything was quiet except for the clicking of her talons against the floor.

At the end of the hall she could see a white light up ahead. As she rounded the corner she came to a small portal in the middle of the room. She paused staring in awe at the light. Then without even truly realizing it she stepped through to the other side. The light blinded her for a moment and she squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them she stood in a vast library. Books lined the shelves which stacked up to the ceiling where the light was unable to reach.

"What is this place?" She asked as her eyes gaze came to fall upon a large hourglass stationed in the middle of the room.

"This, young dragon, is where all the records of dragon history are stored." The sudden voice made her jump and she spread her wings, hissing defensively. "Calm down Cynder." The voice said again. "You are safe here."

The dragoness seemed to recognize the voice. "Where are you? Who are you?" She squinted into the darkness. A large pale blue dragon stepped out from behind the hour glass. Cynder's eyes grew wide as she recognized him. "Ignitus!" She cried and bounded over to him.

"Cynder. It's good to see you." The old dragon bent down and nuzzled her as she kissed his muzzle with tears of joy running down her cheeks.

"Spyro told me that you were the new Chronicler." Cynder paused to get herself under control. She hadn't seen the former fire guardian since they had made the pass across the belt of fire to confront Malefor. She caught her breath and looked around. "But how am I here? Is this a dream world?"

"Yes and no." Ignitus chuckled. "This is a sacred place and the Chronicler is a spiritual dragon, therefore able to communicate with others through thoughts and dreams. But if a dragon of spiritual purity so wishes to make the journey, then they too may find this sacred place." Ignitus watched as Cynder looked around the room in sheer amazement. "Cynder." He said, getting her attention again. "I have called you here to give you a warning."

"A warning?" Cynder raised a brow. "Is it about the Dark Master?"

"In relation." Ignitus gave a half nod. "But it revolves more around our dear Spyro."

"What about Spyro?"

"You witnessed the attack on Spyro yourself. The Dark Master has returned and wishes to regain his lost powers." He turned towards a book that had floated down from a high shelf and opened to the desired page. Cynder moved closer to the old dragon and stared into the pages. "You see, when Spyro brought the world back from the brink of destruction, he expelled the crystal mass that sealed away the Dark Master from this world in hopes of purifying our home. However the mass that contained Malefor shattered and fell back to our world." Cynder looked at the meteors falling to the planet's surface.

"Whose that?" She asked pointing to two figures in one of the pictures.

"Your friends Flame and Ember." Ignitus replied. "They had been finishing their tour, when they witnessed the descent of Malefor. There was no way for them to have known what it all meant."

"So how did Malefor possess that black dragon's body? Is he able to move freely?"

"No. Thankfully." Ignitus shook his head. "Malefor is scattered throughout the land leaving him weak and broken."

"I would hardly call him weak." Cynder curled her lips at the pages. "He nearly killed Spyro and the others.

"If Spyro had fought Malefor in that state when he was at full strength, he would have defeated Malefor with a breath. But Malefor is no fool. He wore Spyro down to the point where he could hardly fight back at all." He looked at the black dragoness. "It's lucky that you and Spyro care for each other so much that you have such a strong connection to one another. Otherwise neither of you may be alive today."

"Hm." Cynder glanced up at the old dragon then back to the pages.

"In order for Malefor to take control of a host's body, he must come into contact with it and be stronger than the host he wishes to control. I am glad to say that the amount of training Terrador, Cyril and Volteer are putting the new guardians through makes them invulnerable to such problems."

"That's a relief."

"Indeed." Ignitus nodded. "But it does not mean that they cannot be influenced. You all will have to retain strong minds and wills if you are to overcome the coming challenges ahead."

"What exactly do you know Ignitus?" Cynder asked. She knew the old dragon well enough to know that he would try and help her and Spyro in any way possible. It made her sad to think that Ignitus still held himself accountable to her and Spyro's rough pasts.

"As you know, Spyro is a purple dragon and is viewed as a symbol of hope to the world. But he will be needing your help more than ever before, along with your guardian friends. In the coming weeks, Spyro will begin to grow weaker and weaker. Eventually, he is going to lose his powers all together."


	21. Chapter 20

"What? Spyro is going to lose his powers? But why? How?" Cynder protested.

"You saw the crystal Malefor used to attack Spyro. It was capable of draining his powers directly from his body, rather than the crude way the Dark Master used to harness the powers of myself and the other guardians. Thanks to you his plan was thwarted partially. But by injecting Spyro with that crystal he was able to weaken him enough so that it will be easier for Spyro to use up his powers later on."

"Is there anything I can do to reverse it?" Cynder asked pleadingly.

Ignitus shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry Cynder. But the damage has already been done. All you can do is try and support Spyro as much as you can. You will need to be stronger than ever if you wish to protect him from Malefor."

"I don't want to lose him." Cynder hung her head as a few tears escaped from her eyes.

"I have faith that you and Spyro will make it through this." He held her chin up and looked down at her with his gentle eyes relaxing her. "As long as you two trust each other, there will no force that can stop either of you."

"Thank you Ignitus." Cynder brushed her tears away.

"I love you both." Ignitus leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "You should get going Cynder. It's almost sunrise."

"What?" Cynder cocked her head curiously. "How can you tell in here? There's no windows."

Ignitus only chuckled. Already the room was slipping away. "Take care Cynder. And look after Spyro."

"I will." The dragoness called as she watched him fade away.

"I'm sorry it's been somewhat crazy around here lately." Stella apologized as she and Liun walked down to the dining hall. It was early morning a couple weeks after the attack on Spyro and the candidates and the arrival of the Manweersmalls. "I wish we could spend more time together, but..."

Liun stopped her with a paw over her lips. "You don't need to explain anything or excuse yourself." He smiled. "I understand that as a guardian you have certain obligations that need to come first. It just means that when I do see you, the time we have is that much more precious."

"You're so sweet." Stella giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey there love birds!" Sparx waved as the two entered the dining hall. In the past weeks it had gotten much more crowded with the number of refugees living there.

"Good morning." Stella chirped in her usual cheerful manner as the two made their way towards their friends seated in a circle, already wolfing down their morning meals. Cynder sat beside Spyro as usual and Flame and Ember next to each other as well. Tremor and Candice sat apart from one another but continued to make side glances at one another when the other wasn't looking.

"How's everyone doing this fine morning?" Liun asked when the two of them had grabbed their food. The day was overcast with dark clouds. The wind was slight but added to the dismal atmosphere.

"Absolutely perfect." Sparx waved sarcastically. "I couldn't have asked for more sunshine ever."

"He's mad because he feels that it's going to rain." Spyro explained. "And rain makes it hard for him to fly."

"I see." Liun nodded. "That's too bad. I guess you'll be staying here by yourself then." He teased.

"Oh heck no. I'm still going to tag along with you guys. But you'll have to listen to me the entire way."

"You had to get him going." Cynder rolled her eyes.

"What's wrong with getting me going?" Sparx demanded and crossed his arms.

"The fact that you never seem to shut up about it once you do." Spyro chuckled. He was feeling much better now that his wounds were healed; even if he did still feel a little bit tired.

As the young dragons enjoyed their breakfast, Candice spotted Tremor staring in her direction. He wasn't staring at her directly, but seemed transfixed on something. The dragoness looked herself over, thinking that she may have spilled on herself. When she found no sign of a mess she looked back at him.

"Tremor, what's wrong with you?" She asked. The other dragons stopped what they were doing and glanced from her to him.

"Do you guys feel that?" He asked. His expression hardened as he continued to stare off into space.

"Feel what?" Stella asked as she looked around the dining hall.

Taking the cue that Tremor was using his earth powers, Spyro followed his lead and closed his eyes. Tremor watched the purple dragon for a moment before speaking again.

"Do you feel anything?"

Spyro nodded. "Yeah. It's faint but there's definitely a disturbance in the earth." The other dragons looked at each other worriedly.

"Do you know exactly what it is?" Flame asked.

Tremor closed his eyes and focused harder. After a moment he looked towards the door. "Something is coming!" He shouted causing every head in the dining hall to turn on them. Before anyone could say anything, Tremor was on his feet and bounding out the door.

"Hey, wait for us!" Stella called after him. The dragons left their food behind and went chasing after the earth dragon. Only Flame and Ember remained behind; both knew what it was. The pink dragoness gave Flame a worried look.

"It's going to be okay." He whispered and kissed her snout. "I'm not going anywhere."

Ember smiled and turned away. She wanted to believe him, but the uneasy feeling in her stomach began to form into a pit of doubt and worry.

The candidates followed Tremor to the upper levels of the tower where they could get the best view of the lands beyond the city walls. They reached the top platform of the temple and began to survey the land. Tremor and Spyro stood together staring hard at the mountains in the distance. The thick fog that covered them made it difficult to see much, but both dragons were sure that was where their senses were telling them to look.

"Do you see anything Spyro?" Cynder asked as she walked up to him.

"Not yet. But something is definitely headed our way."

"If it weren't for that damned fog, it would be easier to see." Sparx grumbled.

"There!" Tremor shouted causing the other dragons to jump. "Right there!" He pointed a sharp claw at the mountain range. The dragons all stared at where he was pointing.

"What is it? I don't see anything?" Candice shook her head.

"There!" Tremor pointed his claw again. "In the mountains. You can't see it?"

"No, I don't. What is it exactly?"

"I can't tell. All I know is that it's coming this way."

Cynder squinted into the distance. As her eyes scanned the fog-covered mountain tops she spotted something moving in the fog.

"Spyro?" She turned to him, hoping that he had seen it too. "Is it me? Or does that mountain seem to be moving?"

"Terrador!" Flame shouted as he and Ember rushed into the temple. "We have a problem! A big problem!" He skidded to a halt in front of the earth dragon. "I think it's him."

"Blasted Malefor!" The guardian cursed and slammed his tail hard against the floor shaking the walls. "The defenses haven't been finished yet. Are you certain it's him?"

"Pretty much." Flame nodded. "Tremor and Spyro both said they felt something coming. And from what it sounds like, it's big."

Terrador sighed. "Alright then. I want you to raise the alarm and have all units go to their battle stations. Have the guardians get the refugees to shelter. This battle will not be easy. The fewer innocent casualties we have, the better."

"Yes sir!" Flame saluted with his wing and took off with Ember right on his heals. The two took to the air once they were outside and scanned the city for their friends. They spotted them up on a large pedestal above the main temple looking out across the city towards the mountains. Neither fire breather took care to look. They knew the battle would be coming soon.

"Everyone! Listen up!" The fire guardian shouted as he and Ember landed. "We need to get the refugees to the shelters! We're expecting a battle at any time and it's going to be big! We have to hurry and make sure they all get to safety in time."

"Leave it to us!" Stella nodded. She turned to Liun. "You and I will gather the manweersmalls. Candice! You and Tremor help the cheetah tribe."

"Gotcha!" The two dragons nodded in unison without even thinking twice about their unity. The four dragons followed Flame and dove over the edge of the platform.

"We should help the guards out." Spyro suggested to Cynder. The dragoness nodded and they headed towards the edge of the platform.

"Spyro." The two dragons turned to see Ember standing alone with her head hung low. Spyro and Cynder both noticed her trembling.

"Ember? What's wrong?" Spyro asked as they walked back to her.

"It...It's Flame." She whimpered.

"What about Flame?"

The pink dragoness couldn't look at him. She felt really selfish for what she was about to ask.

"I'm scared. This new enemy...I'm scared he's going to kill Flame."

"How do you know?" Cynder asked.

"Mole-Yair told us why they had come to Warfang. The volcano they resided within was stationed over a prison which held a monster of such destructive power, his very essence was the reason the volcano was so unstable." Spyro's eyes widened. Boyzitbig was the center of so many bad memories. His first encounter with Cynder and how she had nearly destroyed him and Terrador, and where she had captured Ignitus who had tried to save him.

"What exactly is this monster?" Spyro wasn't sure how to console the dragoness.

"What does it matter?" Sparx demanded. "The key word there is monster. What more do you need to know?"

"The monster is called Titanus." Ember continued. "According to Terrador, Cyril and Volteer, Titanus is the most powerful dragon rivaling the Dark Master."

"Oh my god." Cynder gasped.

"He was a very gifted fire dragon, from what I've heard, and he reached an almost spiritual level before he began to hold himself above all others. When the dragon elders confronted him his greed overtook him. He was banished but a year later he attacked the temple as a horrible, twisted monster. The guardians were almost unable to stop him. It was the first fire guardian who managed to defeat Titanus...but..."

"But what?" Sparx pushed.

"Let her tell say it Sparx." Spyro scolded.

"It cost him his life." Ember began to cry. "The only way to beat Titanus is with fire. I know Flame is really powerful, but I don't want him to die because of this! I love him too much!" She finally looked up at Spyro and Cynder. "Please Spyro! I'll never ask for anything from you for the rest of my life. Just please, don't let Flame die!"

"Ember." Spyro was hesitant for a moment but at last he placed a comforting paw in her shoulder. "I promise you, I'll look after Flame and protect him if necessary."

The pink dragoness smiled through her tears, feeling a little better. "Thank you Spyro."

Cynder watched as Ember calmed herself down before taking off to help prepare for the coming fight. She stared at Spyro who was watching the mountains again. She admired his desire to protect those he cared about. But then she remembered the warning she had been given from Ignitus. She hadn't told Spyro about it in fear it would cause him to do something irrational.

"Spyro." She said, breaking the silence.

"What is it Cynder?"

"Promise me, you'll be careful." She gazed deep into his eyes. Something she felt that she hadn't done in a long time. "I would hate to lose you too."

"I prom..." Cynder cut him off as she pressed her lips to his.

"I know you will." She said in her mind. "You don't need to say it."

Several hours passed. The tension could be felt from all who stood, ready to defend the dragon city. The outer wall was lined with mole soldiers and cheetah warriors. The remaining manweersmalls scrambled to finish the final preparations on the wall's new defense installments.

Terrador and the other guardians paced along the outer wall, watching the mountains. Spyro and Cynder walked along side them, watching the range as well. Sparx flew up to Volteer.

"So, how big is this Titanus guy anyway?"

"Well that remains to be seen." Volteer replied. "I have never laid eyes on him myself. Titanus was far before even Malefor's time. But legend has it he is a dragon as large as a mountain itself. The goliath is said to have swallowed entire villages in a single gulp."

Sparx swallowed hard. "Wow. I do not envy you guys who have to fight him."

"I don't think you envy anyone who has to fight, Sparx." Spyro tilted his head up at him.

"I may not fight like you do hero boy." The dragonfly placed his fists on his thorax. "But I'm always there to support you."

Spyro laughed. "Yup, there's no doubt in my mind about that buddy."

"There'd better not be. Otherwise I'd have to change my mind about fighting."

"Oh brother." Spyro and Cynder rolled their eyes.

"Contact!" The dragons turned to see Tremor jump up from his resting spot beside one of the catapults. He had been laying there with his eyes closed and listening to the earth intently. Now he was wide awake and glaring out towards the mountains. Every head turned and every jaw dropped.

The thunder of crumbling stone echoed across the land as the mountain was turned to dust.

"By the ancestors." Volteer gasped.

A gigantic foot emerged from the cloud of dust and slammed into the ground. The earth shook and everyone wobbled slightly. Slowly another foot began to emerge.

"Guy sure takes his sweet time." Sparx sighed in irritation. Then the head appeared. The long narrow snout of the dragon pushed through a cloud of smoke billowing from its nostrils. The dragon's mouth opened and suddenly a roar shook the land. The moles and cheetahs all cringed and covered their ears. When the sound died away, Sparx's eye twitched. "Mommy."

"What's he doing?" Candice asked. She had sitting on the other side of the catapult, away from Tremor, but now was moving up beside him. Titanus held his mouth open from the roar and seemed to be frozen in time.

"Maybe he's yawning?" Tremor shrugged. Candice gave him a dirty look. "What? What do you want me to say? I have no clue what he's doing!"

All at once a light began to grow in the back of the dragon's throat. The ground began to shake again.

"Oh shit!" Tremor gasped. "Everyone! Take cover! Incoming!" He tackled Candice and shrouded himself in an earth-field. The other guardians took to the air the moles and cheetahs scattered. There was a bright yellow flash, then the beam of fiery energy burst from the dragon's mouth. The grass across the plains burned from the intense heat. Spyro cringed as he placed himself between the fire and Cynder. The beam shot over the city wall immediately burning the stones before striking into the city itself and burning a hole through the mountain.


	22. Chapter 21

The city burned. The hole that had been blown into the mountain caused several of the upper levels of the city to collapse. Everyone watched in horror as their city began to crumble.

"Oh my god." Ember gasped. Her heart began to ache inside her chest.

"We won't survive another attack like that!" Spyro cried.

"No we wont." Terrador agreed. "We have to keep that monster from using that attack again."

"I fear he's too far out of range." Volteer shot an angry glare at Titanus who was beginning to move forward again.

"Well we can't just sit here and wait for him to use that long range attack again!" Spyro protested. "We have to intercept him!"

Down below, Tremor burst free from his protective shield. "You alright Candy?"

"I'm fine thanks." The ice dragoness nodded. She did her best to hide her red cheeks as she got to her feet. She gasped in shock when she saw the city.

"Tremor! Candice! Let's move!" Terrador barked down to them, snapping them out of their trance. The three elder dragons took off towards the approaching monster in the distance as fast as their wings could take them. Candice was about to take off when Tremor grabbed her by the tail with his teeth.

"Ow!" The dragoness yelped and turned a heated glare on him.

"Candice, I want you to stay here." Tremor said sternly. "We need someone to help put the fires in the city out so we don't lose everything."

"The moles can handle it Tremor." The dragoness rebutted. "We need every available dragon out there to stop that monster from burning our home to the ground. If I stay here it will be hurting our chances at beating that thing!"

Tremor wanted to argue but knew the dragoness would counteract every argument he would throw at her. The earth dragon sighed. "Fine. But just promise to be careful. Okay Candy?"

The ice dragoness gave a haughty smirk. "You're one to talk pebble-brain. But I will."

"Good." Tremor nodded. "Let's go!" He sprang into the air and Candice followed. The squad of dragons flew out across the horizon at great speed. Spyro and Cynder took the lead with the elder guardians right on their tails. The candidates took the wing positions, spreading out to make their formation look more formidable.

Off in the distance, Titanus growled. He opened his mouth again and leaned towards the oncoming formation.

"Scatter!" Spyro called. The formation broke as Titanus unleashed another beam. The attack shot over Flame's head and he whirled to see it heading straight for the dragon city. He let loose a roar and fired his own concentrated attack. The counter attack collided with Titanus's and knocked the beam off course. The energy banked sharply and faded away into the dark sky.

The other dragon's gaped at the young guardian as he turned back to face Titanus. Flame reared his head back and took in a deep breath. Ember saw what he was doing and followed his lead. Both fire breathers fired a white-hot beam of energy from their mouths. The attacks streaked across the sky and struck Titanus in the chest and burned through his shoulder, leaving a charred and bloody wound.

Titanus bellowed in pain and the sound shook the dragon's heads.

"Aaarrggh! That hurts!" Tremor wailed as he clutched at his head, trying to stop the dizzying pain.

"Don't give up!" Candice urged as she pressed on.

"Flame!" Spyro shouted as he flew back to his friend. "You and I will hold here! The others will attack Titanus head on while we protect the city from any more of his attacks!"

"Gotcha!" The guardian nodded.

"Flame!" Ember hovered over to them and took Flame's face in her paws. "Be Careful." She looked deep into his eyes so he knew she was serious. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't." Flame said with his usual confident grin. Ember kissed him before breaking off towards the others. As she passed Spyro the two of them exchanged looks and bobbed their heads in acknowledgement.

"Here he comes again!" Flame called as the other guardians faded into the distance. Titanus opened his mouth and attacked again. Flame quickly charged up another shot and fired. The beams collided and the explosion shook the earth.

"Dear ancestors!" Stella gasped as the guardians closed in on their target. Titanus rose over the land like a colossal, scaly, fire-breathing mountain. The ancient dragon was no ordinary fire breather, being covered in dark blue and beige scales, faded from being covered in mountain dust. The legendary dragon had wings but were too small to carry his massive bulk. The dragon's belly sank to the ground, dragging his hind legs and tail, leaving deep groves in the earth.

"I don't think this will be very easy, if at all." Liun gulped as the hulk loomed up in front of him, blocking out the horizon beyond.

"Stay focused!" Terrador ordered. "We must bring him down no matter what! If he reaches the dragon city, them we are all done for!"

Titanus let out another thunderous roar. The dragons all groaned as the sound reverberated through the air. The gigantic dragon raised its head to the sky and belted forth a tower of black fire. The stream shot into the air and began to take shape. The guardians bared their teeth as Malefor gave an angry snarl. As soon as he had appeared, the dark magic was sucked back into the dragon's body and he fired a beam of dark magic down at the guardians. The dragons scattered as the energy corroded the land and turned everything in the surrounding area to ash.

"We have to keep him from taking aim at any of us!" Tremor called to Cynder,Ember, Liun, Stella and Candice. "We need to attack his weak spots."

"Like where genius?" Candice demanded. "Do you see any on him?"

"No he's right." Liun intervened before Tremor could reply. "Each dragon has essentially the same weakness. It's nearly impossible to kill any dragon easily unless an enemy strikes one of three fatal points on a dragon's body."

The young guardians all stared at one another. "So where are we aiming at then?" Stella asked.

"His neck is the easiest target." Liun jerked our of the way as another blast of dark magic came pouring down at them. "Right in the pit of his neck where his clavicles meet."

"And the other two?" Candice spat an ice bullet against the monstrous fire dragon's rock-tough hide. The scales froze over but shattered almost instantaneously.

"The next one is right under his jaw, beneath his brain. "The tissue there is soft but the bone would be exceptionally hard for such a large monster."

"Move!" Cyril called banked hard. The guardians scattered and quickly regrouped.

"The last is his sternum!" Liun shouted, desperate not to become a sitting duck anymore. "Puncture any one of these and he should fall!"

"You heard him guys!" Stella hollered. "Attack!"

"Right!" Cynder and Ember broke off into a pair as did Liun and Stella. Cynder and Ember flew right up to the massive dragon and unleashed a wave of fire at the dragon's neck. The scales burned a bright orange but Titanus seemed unaffected. The girls looked at each other before nodding. They blasted the spot again, holding their breath longer this time.

"Make way!" Liun called as he and Stella came up behind them. He shot a block bolt from his mouth and Stella unleashed her own electric attack. The bolts of energy hit their mark and exploded against Titanus's hide. The monstrous dragon growled in irritation and looked down at them. He opened his mouth again and belched a hurricane of fire.

The four dragons split as the ground beneath them became a field of flames. Cynder glanced at the mark they had left from their attacks and frowned. The combination of their elements alone would have been enough to strike down a good-sized army. However, the protective scales on the ancient dragon's chest were hardly burned through.

Just then Flame and Spyro came soaring over the burning earth. The heat caused a thermal updraft and the two rose to meet their new foe head on. Both dragons stared Titanus in the face before belting out a shower of fire balls. The bombs exploded against the dragon's face and he snarled angrily. The two dragons fired another volley, this time seriously damaging the monster's tender facial scales.

"Whoa!" Stella yelped as the dragon raised a massive paw from the ground.

"Flame! Spyro! Look out!" Ember shouted from below.

"Son of a...!" Flame cursed as he and Spyro dove out of the way. The paw missed them but the slipstream caught their wings and both dragons were sent spinning out of control. Titanus's eyes flashed purple as Malefor took control of his body again. He opened his mouth wide and unleashed another beam of fire energy.

"Watch out!" Spyro called. He and Flame covered themselves with their wings and shrouded themselves in fire. The energy sprayed against their barriers sending the rays scattering across the land. Spyro and Flame dropped out of the line of fire and opened their smoking wings again.

"Now that was hot even for my standards." Flame breathed as he let the air cool his wings off.

"Spyro!" Cynder shouted, getting his attention. The purple dragon looked down at her as Cynder inhaled. She let loose a loud cough and a neon-green stream burst from her open jaws. The poisonous energy struck the spot where she and the others had attacked before but this time the scales began to dissolve.

Titanus growled and swung a paw to knock the black dragoness away. Having watched what happened to Spyro and Flame, Cynder was ready. With a mighty flap of her wings she curled into a ball and slashed with her talons, and blades as the paw brushed by beneath her. She left several bright green gashes along the hulking dragon's hide, allowing the hemo-toxin to eat away at his skin.

Spyro inhaled and fired a beam of fire energy at the spot Cynder had marked. The protective scales burned away leaving a smoldering, fowl smelling wound. Titanus howled and staggered slightly. The nerves in his neck were beginning to burn away. As the nerves died he roared and spewed another wave of fire at Spyro. Spyro countered with his own fire breath. The two forces clashed, Titanus the ancient dragon versus Spyro the purple dragon.

"You will die!" Malefor's figure rose up around the titan.

Spyro glared at Malefor and forced more power in to his attack. He began pushing Titanus's fire breath back into his mouth.

"Now!" Terrador shouted as he fired an earth bullet into Titanus's cheek.

The younger guardians all unleashed their elements in unison. They focused on the damaged spot in Titanus's scales causing the skin to burn away. But the nerves in the dragon's chest had already been disintegrated.

"It's not having any affect!" Candice shouted over the roar of their combined powers.

"Then I'll give it some effect!" Tremor pointed his head up and fired three piercing earth bullets into the enormous dragon's lower jaw. The consecutive strikes broke Malefor's attention for a split second giving Spyro the opportunity he needed. With a loud roar, Spyro's fire breath burst free from his mouth. The spiraling attack engulfed the head of the enormous dragon causing Titanus the roar in pain. The sound shook the earth, cracking the ground beneath his own feet. The smaller dragons all cried out in pain as the terrible sound rattled their brains. One by one they dropped from the sky, smashing onto the rocks below.

Spyro lay next to Cynder who was unconscious. The purple dragon's head spun. He tried to lift his head but he felt completely drained. Several yards off Tremor lay on top of Candice. He had tried to protect her from the noise and had his wings wrapped around her protectively. The dragoness opened her eyes when she felt a drop of liquid hit her cheek. She gasped when she glanced back at Tremor.

"How are doing sweetheart?" He chuckled. Blood trickled from his nostrils and eyes. Somewhere inside he had suffered more internal damage because blood was forming on the rims of his lips.

Before Candice could respond, Titanus raised a massive paw. Tremor saw what was coming and shoved the ice dragoness away from him. He jumped and slammed all four paws on the ground. The shock wave sent a ripple through the earth, carrying the other guardians out of the way as the foot came smashing down on top of him.

"Tremor!" Candice screamed and was instantly on her feet. She turned her fierce purple eyes up at Titanus and her rage began to show. The ground turned to ice, the chill instantly causing the other guardians to regain their senses. The dragoness's eyes began to glow like the sun on fresh snow. She opened her mouth and fired a beam of ice straight up at the head of the towering dragon. Titanus felt his neck freeze at the base of his skull and flexed his muscles, shattering the ice. Candice didn't stop there. She forced more energy into the attack causing Titanus's body to freeze faster than he could break free.

"Candice!" Cyril shouted as he got to his feet but his words didn't reach her. The ice dragoness took to the air and continued her rage. The mass of ice that once held itself around the fire dragon's neck had spread across his head. Titanus struggled to break free, but each time he managed to break the ice, those shards were held in place by a newly formed layer.

"I'll kill you!" Candice screamed. She took a deep breath before spreading her wings. She reached deep inside and felt the power she wanted to use. She let out a bone chilling roar as she unleashed her fury. The ice energy burst from her body, forming long spears of ice. She hissed, giving her wings a mighty flap, sending the missiles at the head of Titanus. The monstrous dragon gave a shudder before breaking free of his ice prison. He looked down at the dragoness just as the icicles met their target. Candice had been aiming for his kill spot just under his skull but since the dragon had turned his head they attack still had an affect. The spears punctured deep into the dragon's face and the side of his neck. One of the spears managed to lodge itself in the dragon's eye, blinding him. The monster roared in pain. The vibrations didn't affect Candice this time. She had shrouded herself in a semi-visible shield of ice particles, nullifying the sound's effect

Titanus clawed at his face, dislodging many of the spikes but not the main one that tormented him. Seeing that his foot had moved Candice dropped back to the ground, tired from the use of her fury attack. She still found the strength to run over to the hole the dragon's foot had left and look down into hit. In the middle was a spiked ball of stone that seemed to glow a bright green. Tremor burst free from his barrier and leaped out of the hole.

"Thank goodness." Candice sighed to herself before collapsing from exhaustion.

"Whoa! Candy!" Tremor caught her before she hit the ground.

"Tremor." Cyril called as he hurried over towards them. "You and the others focus your attacks on that beast. You need to finish him off here and now!"

"Yes sir!" Tremor saluted with his wing. By now the other guardians were back in the fight, sending bursts of elemental power at the juggernaut dragon. Cynder had been picked up by Volteer and Liun by Terrador. The elder guardians unleashed their elements as they began to back away towards the city.

"Rrrraaaaagggghhhh!" Flame unleashed another beam of fiery energy into Titanus's damaged neck. The wound began to bleed openly as he burned through the thick, tough flesh beneath the scales. "Almost there!" He gasped for air. He was feeling really drained from the repeated bursts of concentrated energy. He charged up another attack and was ready to unleash what he hoped would be the final blow when Titanus bared down on him. The titan fired another concentrated beam and Flame barely had enough time to turn his attack into an energy barrier. The beam sprayed around the glowing orb and burned into the ground leaving pools of white, hot melted rock. Flame gasped for breath as his barrier dropped. Titanus reared his head back and fired once more. Flame was too tired to put up a defense. As time seemed to slow he glanced over at Ember. The pink dragoness stared with wide eyes as he prepared to meet his end.

Just as Flame felt the intense heat against his scales something shoved him out of the way. Spyro turned on Titanus and stopped his energy attack with his own, keeping the deadly force just meters from his own face. The heat hurt Spyro's eyes and he was forced to shut them.

Malefor saw the young dragon's interference and smiled as he put more energy into the attack. Spyro tried to fight back but his strength was already beginning to fail. He beat his wings to try and remain airborne but the Dark Master sent pulses of fire into the beam, each one striking Spyro like a burning hot punch. With each strike Spyro would fall back, but he wasn't about to give up. Not for his friend Flame's sake. There would be no one dying today except for the Dark Master.

Titanus pushed Spyro back until he was nearly touching the ground again. Another surge of energy pushed Spyro down. The purple dragon cringed at the heat from the earth beneath his feet. His power wavered but didn't break. Titanus growled and forced even more power out. Spyro roared and forced his opponent's beam back.

"I won't give up!" He shouted in his mind. "I won't give up ever!" A roar came from deep within his soul. His body began to glow with a golden aura. His energy pulsed from his body. His scales flashed brightly then suddenly turned silvery-purple with a streak of his natural color down his spine. Spyro's roar burst from his jaws and his beam attack overpowered the Dark Master's.

Titanus moved his head in time as the beam shot by, but was left with a long burn mark on the side of his muzzle. Spyro's energy manifested into flames as swirled into the sky, parting the clouds. The now silver dragon spread his wings wide and began to absorb the rays of sunlight that now poked through the clouds, increasing his power.

Malefor saw the glowing dragon far on the ground and opened his mouth again. He would finish Spyro off before he could get the chance to unleashed his power.

"Oh no you don't!" Tremor flew out away from the titan and dove back at him. He folded his wings back, gaining speed with every inch he traveled. When he was close enough he began to spread his wings slowly. The earth dragon banked back up, retaining his speed. Just as Titanus was about to fire his beam attack, Tremor curled into a ball, covering himself with earth energy and slammed full force into the dragon's chin. The impact caused the massive dragon's head to whip back and his mouth to shut. The energy combusted inside the dragon's mouth, sending chunks of flesh and globs of blood spattering for miles.

"Get back!" Ember shouted seeing the damage Tremor had caused. She dove towards the ground with Stella and Candice close behind her. Titanus let out a shriek. His eye was wide in shock from the pain he had inflicted upon himself. In a feral display of ferocity, the dragon began to shake his wounded skull frantically as blood poured out of him in fountains and more chunks of skin burned away before falling off. He clawed at the ground tearing deep groves into the burned land.

"Hah! Take that you loser!" Tremor spat another earth bullet at Titanus as he went on another pass. The Dark Master glared at the young dragon with his one good eye and lunged. He managed to grab Tremor by the tail and swung him around, screaming.

"Tremor!" Candice shouted from the ground as she saw him get hurled around like an extra scrap of meat hanging from the dragon's jaws. Tremor curled up towards his bleeding tail and fired another earth bullet spike. The wounded titan paid it no mind as he only seemed bent of shaking the young dragon like a rag doll between his jaws. At last he tossed Tremor high into the air over his head. The earth guardian tumbled head over heals back down as Titanus opened his jaws to swallow him whole. "Nooooo!" Candice screamed. She was about to take flight again when another roar caught her attention. She and the other dragons turned to see Spyro charge forward. His fiery energy manifested into what could have passed as his adult form. Spyro's paws beat against the ground propelling him faster and faster until he became a streak of light.

"Rrrraaaaagggghhhh!" His roar seemed to shake the world. Titanus snatched Tremor out of the air in his mouth and Spyro sprang into the air. His energy focused into a spearhead and punched straight through the titan's neck. Every warrior gasped in shock and amazement as the dragon burst out the back of the Dark Master's neck sending bone and burned chunks of flesh everywhere. Spyro turned and shot back through his already burned shoulder. He hit the ground and cut right into the dragon's sternum, bursting from its back one last time. Titanus's eye widened and a deep groan emanated from his body as he crumbled to the ground. The warriors back at the city began to cheer as the colossus began to tumble to the ground. The Dark Magic that resided within the beast's body escaped through his wounds before dying away.

The dragons all stood in shock at what they had just seen. Candice was the first to come to her senses. She took off towards the fallen dragon's massive head. The jaws hung open slightly but for a dragon her size it was plenty of room to get through. As she got closer a splash of blood burst from the dragon's mouth and Tremor appeared. He spotted the ice dragoness rushing towards him and he hopped down to the ground, making his way towards her.

"Candy!" He called in his teasing flirtatious manner.

Candice ignored him. "You're alive!" She cried, tears wanting to burst from her eyes. She was about to fling herself onto him when the wind blew her way. The dragoness skidded to a halt just in front of him, and wrinkled her nose. "Ew! You stink!" She gasped. He was covered in blood, saliva as well as several other colors Candice didn't care to identify.

"I've been inside a dragon's mouth that hasn't been cleaned in ancestors know how long." He rolled his eyes. "So yeah. I probably stink a little bit."

Candice leaned in and gave a slight whiff to be sure and she curled her lips at him. "Yeah, you really smell bad." She took a step back to try and avoid the stench.

"So?" Tremor gave a devilish smile. "Doesn't mean you can't get a little dirty and give me a hug or kiss because you're happy to see me alive."

Candice's eyes went wide and she bared her teeth. "Ew! No! Not in your life! Gross! Especially when you're like this!"

Tremor smiled, happy to see the reaction he wanted. "Oh come on Candy. Just a little one." He leaned in towards her causing the dragoness to step back again. "Come on it won't kill you. A little sweetness might do me some good."

"Yuck! Get away from me!" She turned and ran. Tremor laughed and chased after her.

High above, Terrador and the three elder dragons stared at the scene below them.

"By the ancestors." Volteer gasped with wide eyes as they stared at Spyro who stood alone, staring at the fallen Titanus. "What in the world was that?"

"You mean you have no hypothesis for once Volteer?" Cyril raised a cold brow skeptically.

"I...I've never seen anything like it before. Not even so much as a rumor, a whisper, a subtle hint as to what we have just witnessed here today."

"Perhaps there is some literature you may be able to read back at the library." Cyril suggested. He too was still in shock as he glanced from Spyro back towards the city. "If it still remains that is."

"Ah, um, yes." Volteer nodded. "We should check that out

right away. As soon as possible."

Just before the guardians could head back to the city, Cynder opened her eyes. She was a little groggy but her vision soon began to clear. She let her eyes fall over Volteer's shoulder and lock onto Spyro. The purple dragon, seeming to feel her eyes on him, turned and looked back up at her. His silver scales sparkled in the sun that broke through the clouds. Cynder almost didn't recognize him.

"Sp-Spyro?" She groaned. She closed her eyes as the exhaustion began to take over again.

Down on the ground Spyro stood still. He felt numb all over. As he looked up at the elder dragon he spotted Cynder staring at him. She didn't stare for long and fell back asleep. As he watched the guardians fly back towards the city, his body felt like it was burning up. He coughed hard. A puff of smoke and few embers spat from his mouth but nothing more. He suddenly felt very tired and he collapsed where he stood.


	23. Chapter 22

Spyro yawned. He stretched and flexed his claws, opening his jaws wide.

"That was a big one." Cynder mumbled. She opened her eyes, having been woken up next to the purple dragon. She looked back over her shoulder, letting her forehead bump the bottom of Spyro's jaw. "Sleep well?"

Spyro nuzzled her back and continued to stretch. "Yeah, I did." He arched his neck and back allowing his vertebrae to pop. "But for some reason I still feel drained somewhat."

Cynder's eyes opened wide. "Drained?" She echoed without turning to face him.

"It's nothing to worry about." Spyro shook himself. "Maybe it was just the battle yesterday."

"Spyro." Cynder looked back to face him again. "The battle with Titanus ended three days ago."

"What!" Spyro gasped and dashed out to his balcony. He stood on his hind legs and looked out across the city. The damage far below was almost unbelievable. Moles and manweersmalls worked in teams to get the debris moved from the streets. The flames were gone but smoke trails still lingered from the hole in the mountain. As he stood there taking in everything, Cynder got up with a quick stretch and approached him.

"It's terrible isn't it." She said sadly as she looked down at the ruins of the city.

Spyro just nodded, at a loss for words. He let out a sad sigh and turned to face Cynder. "How is everyone doing?"

"Alive." Cynder nodded with relief. "No one was fatally hurt during the battle." She looked out at the impact mark that spread across the horizon. The darkness that had resided within the ancient dragon Titanus had corroded his body in the early hours after his defeat. The only remaining sign of the juggernaut was the burned landscape and the mark he had left in the earth.

"And what about Flame? How is he doing?"

"He's doing fine if not a little drained himself. He used up a lot of power against Titanus." She looked back across the landscape towards the mountains in the distance. "It's a good thing you were there to help save him from using up all his power at once."

"I suppose." Spyro nodded. He was still worried about his friend. "I want to go see how the others are doing." He said and spread his wings.

"Wait for me." Cynder called as she followed after him. The two dragons glided across the city and passed the hole that Titanus had burned through the mountain. Spyro stared at the melted rock that covered the inside.

"Such a powerful monster, under Malefor's control." He thought to himself. "I wonder what other challenges lie out there waiting for us."

As they continued on, they spotted Ember heading to Flame's room.

"Ember!" Spyro called out to the dragoness. The pink dragoness stopped and squinted against the glare of the sun. When Spyro and Cynder were close enough she smiled.

"Spyro, I'm glad to see you're finally awake." She chirped as the two dragons landed beside her. "How do you feel?"

"I'm doing fine." Spyro nodded. "And you?"

"I'm very well." She moved closer to the purple dragon. "Flame is resting in his room right now. Were you planning on coming in?"

"Well, if it's not too much trouble." Spyro averted his stare.

"Not at all." Ember shook her head. "It's the least I can do." She took another step closer until she was nearly nose to nose with Spyro. "After all, you did keep your promise. Thank you." She leaned in and kissed Spyro on the cheek. For a moment Spyro was paralyzed, unsure of what to do or say.

Ember stepped back and looked at Cynder who was just about as speechless as Spyro. "Sorry." She grinned, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"I'll let it slide." Cynder gave a half smile. Ember giggled innocently and led them to Flame's room. When they entered Spyro and Cynder found the room furnished with both Flame and Ember's belongings.

Flame, who had been resting on the pad of cushions near the fire place, raised his head when he heard them come in.

"Spyro!" He said in surprise.

"Hey Flame." The purple dragon walked over with Cynder and sat down beside the fireplace while Ember sidled up to Flame.

"It's good to see you up and about." He smiled. "I heard you had passed out not long after I did on the battlefield. What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" Spyro tilted his head questioningly.

"I heard you went all super powered on Titanus. You used your fire element and beat him almost without effort."

"I did?" Spyro raised a brow.

"You mean you don't remember?" Ember stared at him. Spyro shook his head with his jaw slightly open. "You and Titanus were fighting and just when it seemed you were about to lose, you...changed." She shook her head, at a loss for words to describe what she had seen.

"Changed? Like how?"

"It's hard to explain." Ember brought her eyes up to meet his. "I was like you went through a transformation. You were you, but also not you." Spyro blinked a couple times, not sure what to make of what she was saying. "Your skin changed color and you power easily increased a hundred times over."

"Wow." Spyro shook his head in disbelief. "I don't remember any of that. Do you Cynder?" He turned to face his dragoness.

"Not really." Cynder shrugged apologetically.

"All I can say, is that new power you used would definitely wipe Malefor out for good." Ember continued. "I wish I could describe it better but to call it anything less less that amazing would be a major understatement."

That night Spyro tossed and turned in his sleep. He had rolled away from Cynder, leaving the dragoness to her own dreams.

The sky above was overcast and snow fell across the land. Dante's Freezer was quiet except for the crunching of snow beneath the purple dragon's feet.

"I hate how quiet it is here." Spyro muttered to himself. He made his way through the old, broken and weathered battlements. The memories of this frozen war zone seemed all to familiar. Spyro's muscles tensed as he stalked through the fortress. He had no idea what he was there for or why, but he was preparing himself anyways.

All around, Spyro could hear the wind howling throughout the fortress. Then suddenly he heard another howl, but not from the wind. The purple dragon looked up and saw he was suddenly surrounded by wolves. The canines all bared their fangs and tightened their grips on their weapons. The leader lunged for Spyro without hesitation. The purple dragon rolled to the side and fired a burst of flame. The wolf shielded himself, but looked up in surprise when only a ring of smoke puffed from the dragon's mouth.

"What in the heck was that?" Spyro asked himself and coughed. Once again, only smoke and cinders. The wolves all looked at each other as the dragon repeatedly tried to use his fire breath.

A toothy grin spread across the leader's mouth and he lunged for Spyro again. The wolf swung his blade and missed Spyro by the merest of inches. Spyro ducked and head-butt the wolf in the gut, sending his body high and crashing down. No sooner had the leader hit the ground than the rest of the wolves joined in. They sprang into the air with wild yips and barks, wielding their weapons. Spyro tried to charge up a ball of electric energy but nothing happened. He let out a terrified scream as the wolves brought their weapons down on top of him.

The purple dragon yelped and sat straight up. Sparx had been sleeping nearby next to Cynder, heard the noise and sat up.

"Hey, Spyro. You alright man?" He rubbed his eyes and stared at his brother through the darkness.

"Sparx." Spyro gasped, surprised to see his brother awake. "I'm sorry. I just had a bad dream."

"More like a nightmare from the way you were just screaming there."

"I'm sorry." Spyro chuckled to try and play it off. "I'm going to get some water. I'll be back in a bit. Just try and get back to sleep."

Sparx yawned and moved closer to Cynder. "Can do buddy."

As Spyro headed for the door he stopped and glanced back at Cynder who hadn't so much as twitched. Seeing his dragoness so peaceful made him relax more. "Sleep well." He whispered before he disappeared down the halls and towards the pool of visions.

Meanwhile, Cynder was busy with her own dreams. The black dragoness hurried down the corridors until she finally came to the familiar white portal. She stepped through to find Ignitus waiting for her.

"Ignitus!" The dragoness cried and hugged his massive leg.

"It's good to see you Cynder." The chronicler nuzzled her lovingly. "I only wish it were on better terms. I don't seem to have a good history with meeting with you and Spyro when there isn't trouble lurking around."

"What could it possibly be now?" Cynder asked as she sat down on her haunches. "I know Spyro is going to lose his powers. I can't stop him from losing them but I can take steps to help protect him though."

"Yes indeed." Ignitus nodded. "You will need to become stronger in order to be able to protect Spyro from Malefor."

Cynder gave an amused smirk. "I guess I should train with the guardians then huh?"

"Oh Cynder." Ignitus shook his head sadly and the smirk disappeared from CYnder's mouth. "I'm afraid even then your power wouldn't be enough."

"What? Why not?" She was immediately up on all fours, tail lashing the air defensively. "I'm the strongest dragoness around!"

"I'm afraid it won't be enough." Ignitus sighed. "According to what has been written, Malefor will gain a significant increase in power in the coming weeks. And when he does, he will be almost as powerful as he once was before he was sealed away the first time."

"The first time? Was he stronger then, than when Spyro and I fought him?" Ignitus nodded. "Well shit!" Cynder hissed and black flames spat from her mouth and nostrils. "What am I supposed to do?" Cynder demanded angrily. "Just let Malefor take over and kill Spyro?"

"Cynder, you're not going to like the solution I have for you." Ignitus turned towards the hourglass to divert his stare.

"I don't care! Tell me what it is Ignitus!" The dragoness ran in front of the chronicler, forcing him to face her. The chronicler paused as he stared down at her in self-conflict. "Please! Ignitus, you know I'd do anything for Spyro!" She felt tears begin to pull at the edges of her eyes again. "I love him!"

Ignitus saw determination in her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, Cynder." He paused for one final moment. "The only way for you to obtain the power you will require to protect Spyro..." His voice trailed off. "Is if you join the Dark Master's forces again."


	24. Chapter 23

**Hey guys. I'm just here to announce that the first screen shot from AoH Book II is up on my homepage. So be sure to go and grab it. And just to be fair, it's a spoiler.**

Spyro stared down at the pool of water before him. The surface was so calm it felt almost like glass. He sighed as he fought with himself for whether or not he wanted to find out if his dream was a premonition. At last he closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He inhaled, slowly, allowing his heart rate to drop, calming his entire body.

He saw darkness at first. Then the shadows began to brighten as fog clouded his vision. The fog lasted for half a minute before clearing up. Spyro saw the world fly beneath him as the fog opened up to the frozen tundra before him. His body floated around in the air before drifting towards the ground. As he descended, he spotted some movement deeper into the fortress. He turned his attention towards the distraction and came to a hole knocked into the side of a stone wall. The hole led down into a dark cave where no lanterns had been lit. Spyro hovered over the entrance contemplating if he should investigate or not.

Suddenly he heard a crunch behind him. He jumped in surprise to see a wolf heading right for him. The canine stopped at the cave entrance just beneath Spyro. He looked around in all directions curiously before sniffing the air. Spyro noticed the metal beams and tools it carried in its muscular arms. The materials were weathered from the years of being frozen in the ice. Once confident that no one was around, the wolf disappeared into the darkness.

"Spyro." A voice brought him rushing back to reality. The purple dragon turned to see Cynder walking down the dark hall towards him.

"Cynder." He gulped nervously. He had thought she was asleep when he had left their room.

"I thought I'd find you here." The black dragoness muttered. "You weren't beside me anymore when I woke up so I thought I'd look for you just to be sure you were safe."

Spyro smiled softly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"It's alright." Cynder sighed as she came to stop beside him. Spyro noticed the way her eyes seemed almost glossy. As if she were ready to cry or had ben crying. He also detected a subtle tone of sorrow in her voice.

"Are you sure?" Spyro leaned in towards her questioningly. "You seem kind of sad."

"I'm just a little groggy, that's all." Cynder bumped his chin with her nose, slightly harder than she usually did. The dragoness tried to hide the crack in her voice but wasn't sure if she was successful. She turned back to the pool of visions. "Have you been able to see anything?"

Spyro's expression hardened. "Yeah. The wolves are up to something. I'm not certain what they're doing at Dante's Freezer. It seemed like they were gathering materials left over from the war with the Dark Master."

"What makes you say that?" Cynder asked out of the corner of her eye, trying to see into the pool.

"I had a dream earlier tonight about it." Spyro looked her in the eye. "I was attacked by the wolves at Dante's Freezer and when I woke up I had to find out if they were really up to anything." He looked back to the still waters. "Unfortunately they are residing there as we speak."

"I see." Cynder looked down at her long talons and fidgeted uneasily. This was probably the first time Spyro had told her about a dream he had out front without her questioning him.

"Cynder." The black dragoness looked up to see Spyro's eyes locked on with hers. "I have to go to Dante's Freezer and find out what the wolves are doing there. I have a funny feeling that they're probably working alongside the Dark Master."

"Alight then I'll go with you." Cynder nodded.

"No, Cynder." Spyro shook his head. "You need to stay here. It's too dangerous."

"That's never stopped me before Spyro." Cynder pointed out. "We've been through worse."

"I know." Spyro nodded. "But if Malefor is there then I don't want anything to happen to you. I couldn't live with myself if I couldn't protect you."

"Spyro, you don't need to worry so much." Cynder reached up and placed a paw on his cheek. Her pads felt warm against his scales. "We've always been there to protect each other before and it's no different now. I won't let you go alone because I don't know if I could go on without you either."

Spyro stared at her. The sadness was still showing in her eyes, but she was also determined in her words.

"Alright Cynder, you win." Spyro sighed. "We'll investigate Dante's Freezer and find out what's going on there first thing in the morning. But we should try and get some rest first."

"I agree." Cynder gave a half smile. "It's much easier to sleep when you're around." The two turned and headed back towards their room. Cynder was deep in her own thoughts until she finally spoke up. "Spyro, can you show me your fire breath?"

"Huh?" Spyro stopped and stared at her. The black dragoness stood stiff in the middle of the hallway as she stared at him. "Sure, I guess. What for though?"

Cynder just shook her head. "I want to see if you've recovered from the battle yet with Titanus. That's all." The wavering of her voice planted seeds of suspicion in Spyro's mind but he quickly overcame those thoughts. He turned towards the open air over the city and puffed his chest out as he inhaled. He opened his mouth and hissed as if he were wheezing hard. Confused, he tried again. He coughed again and again, but no flames come from his mouth; not even a single puff of smoke. Spyro gave one last desperate try to unleash his flame but only ended up coughing hard.

"That's enough Spyro." Cynder said as she walked over and placed a paw on his shoulder as he hunched over, grasping at his sore throat. "I'm convinced."

"Convinced of what?" Spyro looked up at her with worry in his eyes. It was like in his dream, he couldn't use his fire breath.

Cynder sighed as she tried to find the right way to say what was on her mind. At the last moment she decided against telling him. "You're still recovering from your fight with Titanus. It may take a little while before you fully recover."

"Y-yeah." Spyro nodded and swallowed hard. "I guess so."

"It'll be okay." Cynder rubbed her side against his. "It's just like when you needed to recover your powers the first time. They'll replenish themselves and come back soon."

Spyro smiled softly at his dragoness. "How would I ever get by without you Cynder?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek. Cynder only smirked until he turned away, then her expression darkened.

"I guess Ignitus was right." She thought to herself as they headed back. She knew what was expected over her, but she still dreaded what was going to happen wither way. "I guess I don't have a choice but to go along with the plan."

"So how do you know that the wolves are tinkering about in this place?" Tremor asked.

The guardian candidates had all been informed about Spyro's idea to investigate Dante's freezer for wolf activity during breakfast earlier that day. Terrador and the other elder dragons had their suspicions about the territory the young dragons wished to explore, but had given into the idea in hopes of discovering what the link between the wolves and the Dark Master. Now the young dragons were soaring over the ocean, heading for what they hoped to be a simple investigation and demolition of the Dark Master's plans if any were to be found.

"I had a dream that something was going to happen and it took place at Dante's Freezer." Spyro replied over his shoulder. "After I woke up, I thought I would try and see if it was just my imagination or not."

"So in order to find out, you dragged us out here on a frozen field trip?" Tremor snorted at the cold air. He hated the cold.

"He was referring to the pool of visions pebble brain!" Candice pointed out. "Come on! Don't you listen to anything Volteer talks about?"

"I do." Tremor retorted. "But I'm not a kiss-ass like you who takes the time to memorize every sentence that zips from his lips."

"Up yours!" Candice hissed and was about to go on a rampage when something caught her attention. Tremor noticed and turned his head. On one of the nearby islands stood a small fortress. The upper tower had a cannon aimed outward towards any intruders that may have tried to enter the territory. As more islands began to appear, the more the dragons were able to spot enemy battlements stationed along the way.

"This place has homecoming written all over it." Tremor muttered as they passed the blockade of ice bergs.

"You have no idea." Sparx shook his head. "If there's one thing you should know about Spyro, is that he chooses the most comfortable places to drag everyone."

"Sparx." Spyro glanced back at his brother who was flying next to him.

"Hey I'm just stating the facts so the kids know now, rather than later."

"Kids?" Tremor raised a brow. "We're all the same age."

"True." Candice nodded with a smirk. "Until it comes to you of course."

"Bite me!" Tremor snapped.

"I would, but then I'd get carried away and end up kicking your sorry butt."

"You couldn't beat me even if your life depended on it Candy."

Candice whirled on Tremor. The earth dragon back-winged to keep from running into her in midair. "Do you wanna go right now boulder butt? I would be more than happy to put you in your place if it shuts you up!"

"That's enough you two!" Flame jumped in. He was already pretty angry himself with having to break up another of their childish fights. "We have a serious situation on our hands and this sort of squabbling is dangerous! Now get your tails in gear and stay focused! Understood?"

"Understood." Candice and Tremor replied in unison. Flame gave them both one last stern glare before taking back his position next to Ember.

"Well that was fun." Tremor snickered as they continued to bring up the rear.

Candice leered at him. "Oh, shut up."

Up ahead, Sparx watched the two put more distance between each other. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "We're doomed."

Spyro set down on the ground and looked around the fortress. Everything was quiet, but he knew better. The other dragons set down and scanned the area.

"Sense anything?" Cynder asked as she and Sparx moved next to Spyro.

"There's something beneath the fortress." Spyro answered after a moment's concentration. "It's deep though."

"Any idea what it is?" Stella asked as she sniffed the air. Liun looked around at the broken down machines and demolished walls. He seemed more wary than the other guardians for some reason.

"Not a clue." Spyro shook his head. "Let's look around. There should be a hole in a wall, tall enough for a wolf to fit through, that leads to the catacombs."

Spyro led the way and everyone followed in a tight cluster. When Liun bumped shoulders with Stella he yipped in surprise.

"Are you alright?" The lightning dragoness asked. "You seem really on edge."

"I'm just nervous." The black dragon replied sheepishly. "I'm not a guardian but I'm being sent on a mission with you guys. I'm not sure I can handle it."

"You'll be fine." Stella kissed his cheek. "And if you run into trouble, I'll always be there to protect you."

"Oh, I'm the one who needs protecting?" Liun raised a brow. "I thought it was supposed to be the male protects the female. Not the other way around."

Stella giggled. "Not with me around sweetie."

"What was that?" Sparx paused and the dragons all came to a nervous halt.

"What is it Sparx?" Spyro looked around with narrowing eyes.

"I thought I heard something moving." The dragonfly moved closer to his brother and Cynder.

"M-maybe we should spread out just a little bit." Liun suggested. "If we're too bunched up, and they take us by surprise, then we'll be sitting ducks."

"Possibly." Tremor muttered as he took Liun's words into consideration.

"Come on." Spyro urged. "We should keep moving."

The dragons continued through the fortress, checking every corner and crevice they could find, but found no sign of a cave entrance.

"We've been searching for hours." Liun grumbled in response to the cold as he marched alongside Stella. "Is Spyro just leading us on a wild goose chase?"

"Sh!" Stella hissed. "I trust Spyro with my life. If he says something is wrong, then I believe him."

"But how do we know this isn't a trap?"

Stella stopped dead in her tracks. She had never thought about that possibility until now.

"Spyro, stop!" She called.

"Stella, what is it?" He and Cynder stopped and turned to face the group.

"What if this is a trap? What if the wolves are setting you up for this?"

"Is that possible?" Cynder gave Spyro a worried look. "What if you were seeing into the future, rather than what the wolves were up to?"

Just then a howl cut through the air. The dragons all stood stiff and turned their heads up. The air was still but soon the howl was answered by another. Before they knew it, the howling was coming from all directions and growing louder.

"They're coming closer." Ember growled and bared her teeth.

"Stay calm." Flame reared his head high and spread his wings to make himself look as intimidating as possible.

There was another howl, but it didn't come from the wolves. The blizzard struck the dragons without warning. The particles of ice stung against their scaly hides and the snow blinded them.

"Ah! Damn it!" Tremor snarled. He heard a noise off to his side. He covered his face with a wing and stared in the direction of the sound. He saw nothing except for a pair of golden yellow eyes looking down at him through the sleet. "Wolves!" He shouted over the roar of the storm. The eyes closed and disappeared. Tremor fired an earth bullet but missed his intended target.

"Ah! Let go of me!" A voice cried out.

"Get off of her!" An angry roar cut through the wind and Tremor could feel the vibrations of a scuffle going on close by. A pair of dragons fought against several wolves clawing and snarling at one another.

"Stella! Behind you!" Candice's voice called out. An ear-piercing cry reached Tremor's ears. There was a yelp and something hit the ground just behind him. The earth dragon turned to see a bloody body laying before him. Several ice spears protruded from the wolf's body and its blood stained the snow.

With a mighty flap of her wings, Candice blew the blizzard away, instantly clearing everyone's vision.

"Oh, shit." Flame gulped. The five dragons were surrounded on all sides. The wolves snarled and gripped their weapons.

"Here they come!" Candice hissed and she spread her wings as the first challengers presented themselves. She beat them hard and sent a shower of spikes at them. The three wolves placed their hands into the snow and a wall of ice burst up, making a shield for them. "Shit! They can use elements?" The dragoness cursed. The wolves smashed through their own shield sending jagged shards at the dragoness. Candice ducked low under the shards blew across the ground. Spikes shot up from the snow and the wolves dove out of the way.

Just behind her, Flame and Ember simultaneously unleashed a tower of fire at the wolves in the air. The canines howled as their fur burned and melted to their skin. Once they hit the ground they began to roll around trying to put the flames out. The fire breathers took in a deep breath and exhaled another wave of fire. The wolves berried themselves in the snow, trying to get away from the heat. Just then the flames spilled over a dome of ice.

"What the hell?" Ember snapped. The wolves burst free from their protective shell and smashed the remaining chunks of ice, sending more shards towards them. Flame leaped in front of Ember and melted the shards. Just as his flames died away, one final shard shot through and hit him in the wing. Flame winced slightly but showed no signs of backing down. The wolves leaped into the air and bared down on the two dragons. Flame ducked as Ember sent a shower of sparkler fireballs up at them. The wolves were forced to shield their eyes as they dropped towards the ground. Flame and Ember launched themselves into the air and slammed hard into the first two wolves. As the canines started to tumble away, both dragons used their bodies as a springboards and tackled the last two wolves to the ground.

Stella rolled away from a blade that slammed into the ground where she had been standing. She rolled again as the wolf dragged the blade through the ice sending needles of ice at her. Four more wolves jumped in to help their comrade. The dragoness looked up as the blades came back down again. She stepped to the side, letting the weapons miss her by an inch. She slammed a paw down on top of them, holding them in place. The wolves tried to pull their weapons out from under her paw and were baffled to find they was powerless against her. Stella smiled and sent a surge of electricity through the crude weapons. The wolves mouths hung open as their insides fried. As they began to fall the dragoness whirled around, slamming her tail hard into them and sending their bodies crashing into a far wall.

The pack lunged for Tremor's throat. The earth dragon gave a mighty flap of his wings and jumped high into the air. The wolves skidded to a halt beneath him and looked up. "Perfect." He grinned to himself and shrouded himself in a ball of earth. The boulder dropped hard and slammed into the ground, knocking the canines off balance. Tremor's ball spun wildly before shooting through the circle of wolves. The two wolves unlucky enough to get hit were instantly flattened. Their pack mates stared in shock at them as the ball banked hard and came back for another pass. The wolves formed a thick wall of ice against the rolling mace but to little use. The ball slammed into the wall and Tremor forced more energy into the spin. The spikes ground against the ice, tearing off massive chunks. The wolves forced more energy into the wall and quickly put a stop to Tremor's onslaught. The spinning and grinding stopped. The wolves huffed a small cloud of ice, thinking they were successful. The ground beneath their feet began to tremble and suddenly spikes burst through the thick ice, impaling the wolves where they stood. A moment later, Tremor burst through the ground from beneath them and sent the spikes flying in all directions. He looked over at his teammates who were busy fighting off the attacking wolves. Candice dove to the side as another shower of daggers flew at her. The dragoness dug her talons into the ice to keep from skidding out of control. The wolves lunged for her and swung their weapons wildly. Candice sprang back, slapping the leader's nose with her tail blade.

Behind her, several wolves waited in eager anticipation on top of a wall.

"Look out!" Tremor shouted as the wolves prepared to strike. He fired an earth missile which struck the wall, breaking the stones from their places. Candice looked back over her shoulder to see the wall collapsing down on top of her. The wolves yelped and barked frantically as they tumbled to their deaths. Candice dove past the wolves that were rushing to kill her. The canines glanced back at her as she rolled behind them before being crushed beneath the massive stones.

Candice covered her head as several of the stones pelted her sides. When the rumbling had stopped she looked back at the fallen wall. She was gasping for breath from the sudden exertion.

Off to the side, Tremor sighed with relief that she was okay. He walked over as the dragoness picked herself up out of the snow.

"That was close. Are you alright Can..." The dragoness whirled on him and struck him across the face, knocking him to the ground.

Tremor and the others looked at Candice in wide-eyed shock. Tremor felt his cheek and looked at his paw; there was blood on it. He glared at Candice. "What the hell was that for?"

"You stupid idiot!" The dragoness shouted furiously. "Think before you do something like that again! You nearly buried me alive!"

"I'm sorry I pulled it so close." Tremor apologized as he got to his feet. "But you had enemies up on the wall behind you!"

"Tremor, you moron! This is my territory! As an ice dragoness, I rule here! This is where I'm at my strongest!" Candice was so angry she was shaking. "I was fully aware of them in the first place! I was positioning myself so they would take each other out and I wouldn't have to exert as much energy! My plan was going just fine until you decided to butt in!" The dragoness was so furious she shoved Tremor off balance and into the snow again. The earth dragon felt his temper flare up.

"Well I didn't know that!" He growled as he got to his feet. The other dragons gasped as he shoved Candice back with his muscular shoulders. "I'm not a damned mind-reader like Spyro so how was I supposed to know?"

"Of course you didn't!" Candice rammed him, sending him skidding several feet away. "That's because you never stop to think anything through! My guess is because your damn head is as hard as your pebble-sized brain is!"

Tremor felt the beginnings of a roar build up in his throat. "Well at least I'm not a bitch whose heart and soul are as cold as the damned snow!" He charged her head on in an attempt to ram her back. Candice easily side-stepped and turned the snow beneath Tremor's feet to ice. The earth dragon yelped in surprise and slipped. He skidded along the ice and collided with the pile of rocks.

"I have no idea why the elder dragons chose someone like you to be a candidate for guardian!" Candice had tears forming in her eyes. All her past hate for Tremor was pouring out all at once and she couldn't stop it. She almost didn't want to. "I still have no idea how Gaia could even stand being your twin sister when you're such an ass hole! I wish you were the one who had died and she were still here today!" The other dragons all stared at her in horror of what she had just said.

Tremor's pupils dilated and he narrowed his eyes into a killing glare. "You did not just bring my sister into this." He hissed with his teeth bared. The ground began to shake and Tremor's aura burst from his body. He spread his wings, preparing to charge. Candice spread her wings as well and was ready to defend herself when a fiery bolt struck Tremor in the side. The earth dragon smashed against the stones and bounced off before skidding against the remains of the wall. Ember's flames dissipated and she fluttered to the ground. Stella, Sparx and Flame all stared at her in disbelief.

Tremor opened his eyes and rolled to his feet. Ember had left him with a nasty burn on his side and he winced at the pain. He kept the same killing gaze on Candice.

Tremor growled slightly. "So that's how it is huh?" The dragoness watched him with her muscles tensed and ready to react to anything he might throw at her. "See if I ever help you out again. The next time you need me, I won't be there for you."

"I never asked for your help to begin with!" Candice spat icicles at him. The spikes stuck into the snow at Tremor's feet.

Tremor walked past Ember, paying her no attention at all and headed for the eastern end of the fortress. Candice and the others watched until he was out of sight. The ice dragoness clawed the snow furiously and hissed a large cloud of ice before storming off on her own.

Every head watched her disappear into the fortress. Sparx scratched his head. "Wow. I'm not sure who to fear more. The mutts or those two." Stella started after Candice but Flame jumped in front of her.

"Let them go." He shook his head. "They need some time to themselves right now." Stella looked after Candice then Tremor before looking back at Flame. "We'll find them after we find the entrance Spyro was talking about.

"Speaking of which." Sparx looked around. "Where is Spyro? And Cynder?"

"Liun?" Stella looked around frantically. "Liun, where are you?"


	25. Chapter 24

Snarl stalked through the deep dark caverns of the ice fortress. He had heard reports of the skirmish above, on the surface with the dragons. He had lost several of his pack but they had managed to capture the dragons they required. However, his blood still boiled.

He came to the deepest level of the catacombs and the sentries stepped away from the frozen iron doors. The Alpha entered the dungeon with the sentries following on his heals. Once inside, he looked down at the far end of the chamber at one of the cells. Cynder lay unconscious on the floor. Blood trickled from the gash on the side of her head where she had been struck. The wolf leader took the keys from the guards and prepared to open the gate.

"I will deal with this one. I want you two to begin with the purple one."

The guards nodded and smiled fiendishly. Snarl watched them disappear around the curving hallway towards the main chamber. He then turned to the dragoness and opened her prison door.

The two sentries rushed excitedly down the corridors to the main chamber of the prison blocks. The room was large enough to hold several large dragons with some room to spare. The chamber was filled with some old machinery as well. In the middle of the room was a cage hanging from the ceiling. The round bars were covered in metal barbs, cold and rusty from the years. In the middle of the cage was Spyro. The purple dragon was still out cold, but not for long.

The larger of the two sentries snorted and grabbed a barrel of water a the far end of the chamber. He hefted it up and walked close to the cage.

"Hey." He growled. Spyro's eyelids twitched but he didn't wake up. "Dragon!" The wolf said more forcefully.

"Uh?" Spyro slowly opened his eyes and the wolf thrust the freezing cold contents of the barrel all over the purple dragon. Spyro yelped in surprise and shock. He tried to curl into a ball to warm himself up but his tail and forelegs had been shackled to the bars, holding him in a very vulnerable position.

"Good, you're awake." The wolf sneered. "Now we can begin."

Back down the hallway Snarl stood over the dragoness before him. He picked her up in his massive hands and squeezed her tight. "Wake up!" He ordered.

"Wha-what?" Cynder's head spun as she began to open her eyes. "Where am I? What happened?"

"Get up now!" Snarl growled ad threw Cynder against the wall. The dragoness crumbled to the floor without so much as a cry. Snarl snatched her back up again and began to squeeze her tighter. Now, Cynder was awake and screaming as she felt her body being crushed. "That's better."

As Cynder's head slowed it's throbbing she faintly heard Spyro's voice call to her in the distance. Suddenly his scream echoed through the halls.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried and fought against Snarl's grasp but the wolf held her tight.

"You're not going to be able to help your friend out." The Alpha sneered. "You both will die here today."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Cynder hissed and bit down hard on the wolf's hand. Snarl gritted his teeth as Cynder sank hers deeper into his cold flesh.

"Is that all you can do dragon? You're not so tough when you don't have your powers to use."

"Oh yeah?" Cynder hissed and black flames burst from her bite mark. Snarl howled and released her. The wolf was trying to put the flames out when Cynder unleashed a gust of wind and knocked him against the gates. The metal dented from the quick impact but remained in tact. Cynder hissed again and coughed a spray of venom. Snarl rolled away, just narrowly missing being melted alive by the deadly poison. The venom burned through the metal quickly and the dragoness made a quick break for freedom. She dashed down the hall towards the sound of Spyro's cries and skidded to a halt in front of the doorway. What she saw was enough to scare her stiff.

Spyro hung from his wrists inside the barbed cage. Dark bolts of energy surged from a dark crystal beneath the cage. Spyro screamed as the dark magic tore through his body, threatening to rip him apart from the inside out. As the black magic infested his body, white energy flowed back into the crystal.

"No!" Cynder cried and leaped forward. The two wolf sentries turned as the dragoness soared past them. Cynder was almost to the cage when the dark bolts of magic knocked her back. She felt a surge of evil electric energy course through her body. The dragoness was thrown back into the wall, cracking the metal.

"C-Cynder!" Spyro groaned trying to fight against the immense pain. He could feel his energy slipping away and his will weakening.

The wolves stared at the dragoness in bewilderment as she struggled to rise again. The sudden exposure to the dark magic stunned her more than any other force had before.

"Get...out of here! Cynder!" Spyro wailed as another surge ripped through him. "Save yourself!"

"Not without you Spyro!" The black dragoness snapped and stood ready to engage the wolves. The two sentries gripped their weapons but didn't raise them just yet. "I'm not going to leave you to die here with these monsters!"

Cynder saw the last of Spyro's ice energy slip away from him and into the purple crystal. She lunged for it but the larger of the wolves stepped in front of her. He struck Cynder across the face. The dragoness rolled across the cold floor and sprang back almost instantaneously. She curled into a ball and slammed head on into the wolf. The impact sent the canine smashing into the crystal The crystal shattered and the ice energy that was once Spyro's was absorbed into the dazed wolf. The beast howled as it felt the massive power surge within his body. He rolled around on the floor, smashing into the equipment and knocking into Spyro's cage. The purple dragon hung limp in his restraints. The ice energy engulfed the wolf and it began to grow larger. It's long hair stood on end and the clusters of fur tipped themselves in pointed spikes of ice. Small ice spikes formed over the wolf's eye brows, knuckles and muzzle. It's eyes began to glow white-blue from the overexposure to the ice energy. The other sentry backed away with his ears pinned back and tail tucked between his legs.

Just then Snarl burst into the room. He paused for a moment, taking in the scene. He saw the broken crystal and glared at the black dragoness.

"Look what you've done!" He growled angrily. "You have ruined the plan!" He raised his claws, ready to strike down on the dragoness.

"W-wait." Cynder wheezed. Much to his own surprise, Snarl paused. He stared hard down at the dragon who was doing her best to appear strong, even though she could barely stand. Cynder looked up at Snarl and puffed her chest out to look more serious. She knew what she had to do. "Take me instead." She coughed hard. "If you let Spyro go, then I'll be your servant."

Snarl lowered his arm. He was amused by the odd request from the young dragon. The wolf laughed out loud causing the remaining sentry to stare at them curiously. As Snarl's laugh died down, he struck Cynder across the face with the back of his fist. The dragoness slumped to the floor unconscious.

"I make no such promises." He sneered sinisterly. He snatched up the dragoness in his claws and turned to look up at the ever-buldging power-weighed wolf. "Release the purple one. The cold will kill him sooner or later. But until then, kill the others!"

The large wolf howled in anticipation and licked his long fangs.


	26. Chapter 25

Candice stomped through the snow. Her mind was filled with hate and rage. She had been mad at Tremor before but this last incident was the final straw. As she kicked at the snow her mind began to wander. Why was she so mad at Tremor? She had never been this furious with him before, so why now? Why this much? Had he really done something so horrible to deserve her verbal wrath?

"What an asshole!" She hissed and fired a spike into a wall. Her tail lashed at the air madly. "He tried to help and nearly got me killed in the process." She repeated her earlier argument. Her talons dug into the hard ground beneath the ice. "He never thinks things through! He just sees what he wants and goes straight for it without any regard for anything else!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a eerie howl. The dragoness lifted her head and sniffed the air. The particles of ice floating in the air vibrated against the wind. The enemy was close.

"Perfect." She thought to herself. "I need to get rid of this stress anyways." Suddenly there was a loud crash and a tower of ice burst up from the middle of the fortress. The ice shattered and a large fur-covered monster burst from the frosty cloud. The mutant wolf landed before the ice dragoness and roared. The dragoness bared her teeth and spread her wings, ready to fight.

"Did you hear that?" Sparx held a palm to his ear to listen.

"It sounded big." Flame growled and curled his lip slightly.

"Do you think Spyro and the others are all right?" Ember asked worriedly.

"I hope so." Stella muttered. "This place gives me the chills. And not for the obvious reasons."

"I hope Candice and Tremor are going to be okay." Ember muttered.

"Me too." Stella nodded, the heated argument still fresh in her mind. "I know Candice didn't mean what she said."

"But even still." Flame looked back at the golden dragoness. "She did cross the line with Tremor."

"I won't disagree." Stella shook her head. "But I can't help but wonder what's been going on with her lately. She's been acting strangely around Tremor."

"Now that you mention it." Ember tilted her head to recall the past several weeks. "She has been a bit more tense around him."

"Like how?" Flame raised a brow. Sparx floated over to rest on his shoulder and listen in.

"You haven't noticed the way she's always at his side or staring at him when we eat our meals?" Stella peered at the fire guardian skeptically. "Ever since returned from the eastern dragon city she always sits next to him."

"And they actually hang around each other." Ember nodded. "They never did that before."

"Maybe it's because Candice is trying to help fill in for Gaia." Flame suggested. "Tremor and Gaia were always beside each other no matter what."

"True." Stella nodded. "But with Candice, she's more tense. Not as carefree as Gaia was. Maybe she's trying to be nice but is being burdened by herself."

"What do you mean?" Flame cocked his head curiously.

"She means that she's trying to be nice and help him out, but she's in conflict with herself over the whole matter." Ember explained.

"Conflict?"

Ember shook her head and sighed. "If I didn't love you so much...She's used to not being on good terms with Tremor, but now that they seem to be, she's confused. She doesn't know if it feels right or not."

"How could it not be right? The only alternative is to continually argue every time you see the other dragon anywhere near you."

"But that's all she knows with Tremor. She's not used to being nice to him or vice versa."

"I believe she's developing feelings for him." Sparx smirked. "Why else would she get so mad at him for trying to help her. Sure it may not have been in the best way, but he was willing to save her life when it was in danger." The dragons remained silent as they stared at one another.

"You...don't think that's really the case do you?" Ember asked.

"Why not?" Sparx insisted. "Spyro and CYnder were mortal enemies at one point. Why not the pebble-brain and the ice princess?"

"He has a point." Flame nodded and looked at Ember with an adoring expression. "Miracles do happen." The dragoness blushed and shied away slightly.

"Oh, Flame. Not in front of Stella." She giggled.

"Yeah hot shot." Sparx nodded. "We have to find Spyro and the others first."

"Then I suggest that we head towards that noise." Flame thrust his head forward.

"What? Why?" Sparx gulped suddenly very alert.

"Because if there's wolves around, then there's bound to be a dragon or two close by."

"Oh. Right." Sparx grumbled. "You know, I think you've been hanging around Spyro too long. You're starting to think like he does."

Tremor trudged through the snow. His temper still lingered, clouding his mind and making him oblivious to anything around him.

He sighed heavily and watched his breath hang in the cold air for a moment. Seeing himself breathing made him think of Candice, how she snorted ice when she was upset or irritated by something. He wanted to smile at the thought but his temper held him back. He wanted so desperately to call her something; something hurtful, do something that would put her in her place for good.

Tremor growled and shook those thoughts out of his head. It was not like him to think that way. Not even about someone he was mad at. He flopped down in the snow and let the chill cool him off.

"Stupid." He whispered to himself. "That's all I am to anyone."

"Don't say that." Tremor's body began to glow with a yellow green aura. The energy drifted away from his body and settled on top of the snow in front of him. "I never thought you were stupid." Gaia shook her head.

"I know sis." Tremor sighed again. "But Candice does."

"You have to admit you don't always think before you do things."

"Sometimes there's no time though." Tremor lifted his head in protest. "Hell! I took a bolt of lightning that would have killed her, head on!" He pointed to the burn on his chest. "I didn't hear her complain when I didn't think that through. I just did it!"

"I know." Gaia nodded and a smile spread across her cheeks as she gazed lovingly at her brother. "You've really changed over the past couple months. I think it's for the better. You've kept your promise to me by being less of a pain to Candice."

"I wouldn't say less of a pain." Tremor rolled his eyes. "She's still a know-it-all-kiss-ass. I just try to be a pain less often."

Gaia giggled. "Okay, that's true. But I don't want you to give up on her yet. I know you like her and..."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Tremor held up a paw. "I do not like Candy. At least not like that."

Gaia's tail twitched slightly and she raised a brow at her twin. "Tremor, who are you kidding? There's no way you could possibly fool me on this. I know you too well."

Tremor felt his body temperature rise again. "I don't know what you're talking about sis."

"Oh really?" Gaia narrowed her eyes at him. "Ever since you two spent the night on the cliffs where our little secret spot was, you've been developing feelings for her. They were slight at first but you can't honestly deny that you're not fond of her in the least bit."

Tremor curled his lips wanting to protest. If he was ever wrong with someone, it was his sister if not Candice. The earth dragon let out an exasperated sigh. "Damn it!" He cursed and slammed a paw into the ground, causing the snow to fall from the branches of the trees nearby. "I can't hide anything from you two."

Gaia smiled warmly. "I just know you Tremor. But you really should tell her how you feel."

"About what?" Tremor sank back down into the snow to pout.

"About how you truly feel about her. Not just what you portray on the surface. But what you feel in your heart." Tremor's eyes drifted from his sister's form to the snow beneath her feet. It was then he noticed that the snow under her had melted away, revealing the ground where fresh grass and flowers were beginning to sprout up.

Tremor sighed again sadly. His sister really was a miracle of life. He closed his eyes and let a few tears slide down his cheeks before disappearing into the snow. Gaia noticed and cocked her head at him sadly. She knew he still carried the pain around every day with him. "I miss you sis." Tremor sniffled as he looked up at her with wet eyes.

"I know." Gaia smiled. A tear formed in her eye and fell to the ground. She moved close to her brother and kissed him on the nose. Tremor felt a tingle run through his body. "You'd better get going." She whispered. "You may want to tell her before it's too late."

Tremor felt a knot well up in his chest. He nodded and wiped his face. "I will. I love you Gaia."

"I love you too Tremor." The dragoness replied softly. Her voice floated in the air as she faded from Tremor's sight. The cloud of yellow-green energy was absorbed back into Tremor's body. He felt a new power swell up within him and he breathed deep. He felt like he could do anything, including take on Malefor. He looked at the patch of fresh grass. A small tree had sprouted where Gaia's tear had fallen. Tremor smiled and kissed its tender leaves. He plucked a small bouquet of the flowers and formed a band around the cluster with some tightly packed stone. He used his claws to etch something into the band before taking one last deep breath. Tremor gently picked up the flowers in his mouth before running off to find Candice.


	27. Chapter 26

Candice groaned as she hit a wall. The lone wolf threw a punch and the dragoness ducked as the fist smashed into the stone. She rolled away and shielded herself with her wings as the wolf hurled chunks of the shattered stone at her. The shards peppered her wings but weren't able to puncture through.

Candice opened her wings back up to release a blast of sub-zero breath into the face of the charging wolf. The beast yelped and staggered back, smashing its weapon against the cast of ice. After a moment, the wolf fell onto its back and remained still.

Candice sighed heavily. She was beginning to wear down after such a rough battle with a strong opponent such as this mutant wolf. She was covered in cuts and bruises but nothing serious. She was turning away to find the other dragons when she felt the ice particles in the air begin to vibrate. She whirled around to see the ice cast over the wolf's head begin to shake. A muffled sound began to come from inside the ice and began to break through. With a high pitched howl, the wolf broke free from his prison. Candice covered herself again with her wings to try and put a barrier between her and the piercing noise.

The wolf glared with pale-blue eyes and snarled. Saliva dripped from his jaws and froze upon his fur making a jagged-looking beard.

"Dear ancestors! You're a stubborn one! Even more than that damned dragon I'm supposed to be mad at!" The dragoness spread her wings ready to jump back into the fight.

The wolf blew a cloud of ice and the dragoness took to the air. She looked down to see her paws were frozen over. Her attacker lunged and punched her hard in the stomach while she was distracted. Candice felt the wind rush out of her and she smashed into a tree. In a flash, the wolf was upon her. With a mighty thrust he plunged his blade through the trunk of the tree, just missing Candice by a sliver. He tried to yank his weapon back out but it was too deeply lodged in the trunk to come out.

Candice spat two spikes into the wolf's feet, pinning him in place. The beast howled in pain and reached down to yank the spikes out. Candice spat another pair of spikes and pinned his hands. The wolf's eyes widened as he looked over at the young dragoness. Candice gave a superior smirk and whipped around, striking the wolf across the face. The impact sent the mutant's head rocking back violently. The hit made him pull on the spikes that held him in place and he howled again.

Candice leaped into the air and began to claw at the wolf's face. The canine's blood spattered across the ground. As the dragoness continued to rip away at his face, the wolf slowly began to pull a hand free from the frozen spike. With a quick jerk, he wrenched his hand free, stating himself and the dragoness in his blood. He grabbed Candice and yanked her off of him. The dragoness squeaked in surprise at being grabbed. The wolf slammed his fist against the tree trunk and began to press her hard against it.

Candice cringed at the pressure against her chest and hissed out frost. She bit down deep into the wolf's wrist causing the beast to growl in irritation. Candice intensified her bite and injected her ice energy into the wolf's hand. Ice spikes burst from beneath the wolf's skin and the wolf to roar in agony. The canine's grip relaxed and Candice dropped to the ground. The wolf flexed his wounded hand and crushed the ice.

"No way!" Candice gasped. The wolf struck her across the face and sent her skidding through the snow. Candice shook the stars from her head and resisted to urge to throw up. Her head was spinning and her fatigue was beginning to kick in.

The mutant wolf began to slowly open and close its fist, testing the extent of the damage inflicted by the ice guardian. At last he dared to grip the other spike that held him in place. Candice sprang to her feet and lunged. She swung her tail blade and a whistle cut through the air. The precision cut went clean through the tree trunk. The wolf's eyes grew wide as the upper section of the tree began sliding down to crush him underneath. In a last ditch effort, the wolf bellowed and tore his remaining hand free from the spike. He struck the trunk, freezing the entire mass instantly. The wolf caught the trunk and thrust it high into the air. Candice watched in shock as the wolf sprang free from the ground and up towards the frozen tree. He sneered at the dragoness and slammed his bloody fists into the trunk again, shattering it into tiny shards. With a mighty breath, the shards rained down on the young dragoness. Candice ducked behind her wings, allowing her ice-encrusted wings to shield her. The cloud of ice particles became almost too thick to see through.

The wolf whimpered as he set foot back down on the ground. He licked his feet slightly before turning his attention back to the dragoness. Candice waited for the cloud to clear up before peaking out from behind her wings. The wolf smiled when he saw the terrified look on her face.

"What in the hell are you?" She gasped. The hair on the wolf's back glistened as ice formed over the tips, making millions of needle-sized spikes. The canine dropped on all fours and launched the needles. Candice hid behind her wings again. When she looked down, her forelegs were bleeding. The needles had punctured her skin and her legs burned. She lifted her paws slightly to find that they had gone numb from the pain and cold.

The dragoness looked up at the wolf who was obviously pleased with himself. He began to inhale deeply, preparing for one final onslaught.

"Candice!" The ice dragoness turned her attention to see the young earth guardian standing several yards away with a look of horror on his face. All of a sudden she was frozen.

Tremor hurried through the various installments built up around the fortress. His mind raced as he tried to think where the ice dragoness had disappeared to. He thought back to where he had left his friends and headed out on an interception course. He flew over the fortress batteries, scanning the ground for any sign of Candice. He was about to pause to think when he heard a loud crack in the distance. The earth dragon looked up to see a wolf blowing a gust of ice down at the ground. Tremor's grip on the flowers tightened and his stomach wrenched up into his chest. He beat his wings faster, the cold air stinging his eyes and face. He Rose over a high wall and gasped, nearly dropping the bouquet.

Candice was looking at her bleeding forelegs. She was bruised all over and was decorated in cuts and gashes. The wolf curled his muzzle into an evil smile and began to draw in his breath.

"Candice!" Tremor shouted as he landed. The dragoness turned her head with wide eyes. The two exchanged horrified looks. Tremor could see the fear in her eyes.

"Tremor! Get out of..."

The wolf gave a loud roar and blasted Candice with a beam of pure ice energy. The dragoness coughed out a cloud of ice particles before freezing in place. A gust of wing blew the snow up into the air and Tremor had to duck behind his wing to avoid being blinded. The roar died off and Tremor lowered his wing. Candice stood still, her body completely frozen. The wolf barked excitedly and lunged, bringing his weapons down hard. The frozen dragoness shattered from the impact.

Tremor's jaws dropped and his bouquet fell onto the snow. Time seemed to be slowing down as he watched the pieces of Candice crumble into the snow. The sickened look spread across the earth dragon's face. His body suddenly felt numb.

"No." He squeaked. "No." He shook his head not wanting to believe what he had just seen. The wolf's ear twitched in the dragon's direction. He looked over and licked his chops as if ready to make a meal out of Tremor. The earth dragon took a step forward, his horrified gaze still locked on the frozen pile of ice chunks. The wolf charged and swung its weapon. Without even thinking, Tremor knocked the wolf away with his paw. The canine yelped in surprise as his body flew into a wall, bringing down several large stones on top of him.

Tremor stood over the shattered remains of the ice dragoness. "No." He whispered. "This can't be happening." He reached out to a piece of the dragoness's face. The eyes looked so distant and lifeless. "I can't..." Tremor's heart was trying to mush its way into his throat and he was gasping for breath. "I can't have lost her too."

The wolf opened his eyes and shook his head. He threw off several of the stones and staggered to his feet. He snarled furiously at the earth guardian.

Tremor collapsed into the snow, holding the remaining pieces of the ice guardian close him. "Candice. I'm sorry!" He sobbed, the tears finally flowing freely from his eyes. "I didn't mean any of it!"

Just then Flame, Ember, Sparx and Stella arrived on the scene. They spotted Tremor and froze when they spotted the mutant wolf.

"What's going on?" Stella gasped. "Is Tremor..."

"I don't think he's dead." Flame shook his head as he slowly began approaching his friend, keeping a wary eye on the wolf, who watched them keenly.

"What's this?" Ember caught their attention. She was looking down at Tremor's bouquet. Sparx hefted the flowers up and held it so the dragons could read the inscription on the stone band. Their eyes widened as they realized the situation. "Oh no." Ember wheezed as she looked back at Tremor who was still sobbing.

The wolf glanced from Tremor to his friends. Neither group was paying him any attention. Slowly he reached for his weapon. Stella noticed and her jaw dropped.

"Tremor! Move!" She cried. Tremor paid her no attention. The wolf lunged, determined to end the earth dragon's life in a single blow. Suddenly he was struck by a bolt of lightning and a beam of ice energy. The wolf howled as the ice encased him and the electricity burned through his body. The powers exploded and the dragons shielded their eyes. When the light died down, a large towering ice crystal stood before them. The mutated wolf was encased inside, bolts of lightning still crackling across his body and the surface of the crystal. Stella felt the electric energy begin to build up within the crystal. She tackled Tremor just at the crystal exploded, causing electrified particles of ice to rain down on them.

When all was quiet, the lightning dragoness looked down at Tremor. His eyes were shut tight.

"Tremor? Are you alive?" She whispered, knowing that if he was he wouldn't be very peachy.

"I wish I wasn't." The earth dragon choked back a sob. Stella got off of him allowing him to rise.

"Don't say that." Stella shook her head. "It's not right for you to say that."

"Who cares." Tremor mumbled. "She's gone. Candice needed help and I failed her."

"Tremor."

"I failed her!" The dragon whirled on Stella with fresh tears flowing from his eyes. "I failed her as a fellow guardian! As a fellow dragon! And even more importantly, as a friend!" Stella wanted to shrink back, but she stood her ground before her ranting friend. "I failed her just like I failed my own sister! I couldn't protect either of them! And I've lost them both!"

"Tremor."

"No! Don't talk to me Stella!" Tremor shook his head, letting the tears fly. "I can't do this anymore! I can't go on like this! I just can't!" The earth dragon burst out crying again and fled away from the lightning dragoness.

"Tremor!" Stella called but Tremor refused to listen anymore.

"Stella!" Flame called. The dragoness turned to see Flame and Ember standing beside a tree. She walked over, after looking back over her shoulder sadly. As she got closer, she saw what the fire breathers were looking at.

"H-hey." Candice wheezed. She lay on her side in the snow, her blood turning the snow red.

"You're, alive?" Stella gasped in surprise. "But, I thought you were..."

"She can save the explanations for later." Ember held up a paw. "For now, Candice, stay still." The ice dragoness coughed hard and closed her eyes.

"Sure...I'm... just drained."

Stella and Flame watched as Ember leaned down pressed her lips to Candice's. The ice dragoness's eyes widened. She never had seen Ember heal anyone before even though she had heard rumors of her healing powers. She wanted to pull away but her body wouldn't respond. She felt a warm tingle spread throughout her body. Her wounds healed up and she felt her strength return.

At last Ember broke away and Candice got to her feet. Both dragons blushed and averted their gaze.

"Sorry for the awkwardness." Ember apologized as she glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "But that's the quickest way for me to heal someone when they're wounded.

"I understand." Candice nodded. Her cheeks still felt hot.

"Now that that's out of the way..." Stella stepped towards the ice guardian. "Candice you need to go find Tremor right now! He still thinks your dead! I don't want him to do something irrational!"

Candice's eyes widened. Without another word, she spread her wings and sprang into the air.

"We'll catch up to you later!" Flame called after her before she was out of ear shot. When she disappeared from view, Flame turned to Stella and Ember. "We should try and find Spyro and the others. I have a feeling they should be around here close by."

"And what should I do with this?" Sparx asked, dragging the bouquet Tremor had dropped.

"Bring it." Stella ordered.

Candice beat her wings hard and fast. She had no idea where she was going or even if it was the right direction. All she knew was that she had to find Tremor before it was too late.

Tremor sat in front of the small patch of open ground in the snow. His tears flooded from his eyes and onto the ground. The snow melted away, revealing the lush green grass beneath. The more Tremor stared at the grass, the more he was reminded of his losses and the more he cried.

"Why me?" He sobbed. "Why them? I know I'm terrible dragon and an awful guardian, but they didn't deserve this!" He stared at the tree and snorted loudly. "You didn't deserve this fate Gaia. Or you, Candice. Neither of you deserved to die like this." He heard the sudden sound of wings beating behind him and he dug his claws into the ground and gritted his teeth. "I thought I said to leave me alone!" He shouted without turning around.

"Tremor!" The voice made his eyes pop wide open. Tremor's head snapped around and his jaw fell open. Candice stood before him several yards away, panting heavily from the exertion.

"C-Ca-Ca..." Tremor stammered. He suddenly began to hick-up uncontrollably.

"It's okay Tremor." The dragoness took a step forward. "Every thing is okay."

"No!" Tremor shook his head in disbelief. "You're dead! I saw you die with my own eyes!"

"No you didn't Tremor!" Candice shook her head. "It's really me!"

"But...how!" Tremor took a frightened step back. He was trembling all over.

Candice sighed. "It's a special technique I developed when I was young by my grandfather. He taught me how to make an ice-copy of myself as a decoy for me to escape if I were ever in harm's way. He taught me this back when Cynder was under the Dark Master's control."

Tremor was frozen in shock. He couldn't move.

"Do you even believe me?" Candice asked sadly when the earth dragon didn't respond.

"I...I don't know!" Tremor turned away from her and shut his eyes tight. He wasn't sure if he was asleep, or awake. He just wanted for everything to be right again. The pain was hurting him again and his tears began to flow even more.

Candice sighed sadly and walked over. She brushed against Tremor' side gently as she sat down next to him. The earth dragon opened his eyes and stared at her. Slowly he reached out and placed a paw on top of hers. When he lifted it, she was still there.

"It's really you..." He whimpered. Candice nodded. That just made Tremor turn away from her again.

"What's wrong?" Candice leaned in closer to try and catch his eye.

"You know what's wrong." Tremor muttered. "I thought you were dead."

Candice gave an exasperated sigh. "Tremor, I said it before. I'm an ice dragoness. I'm at my strongest in a place like this."

"But you were hurt when I saw you." Tremor protested. "I thought..."

"I understand." Candice placed a comforting paw on top of his. "But you don't have to cry anymore. I'm fine. I promise."

"You don't get it though." Tremor gave her a quick glance out of the corner of his eye. "I thought you had died! I...I never...I wouldn't have...I...I..." He gritted his teeth. "I was trying to find you...to tell you...

"You don't have to say apologize for anything." Candice shook her head. She tried to crack a convincing smile. "I'm sorry I said those horrible things earlier. I wish I could take them back." She turned away from him, deeply ashamed of herself. "I do wish Gaia was still alive. I'm so sorry. I don't even know why I even brought her into the argument like that. But I don't wish you were dead at all. I meant what I said...it would be a waste if you were to die now."

There was a long pause before Tremor spoke. "I thought you were dead." He repeated. "I know you rule in place like this. But it was the initial shock. The feeling I got when I thought I had watched you get killed in front of me. The thought of knowing that I wanted to make things right between us but being too late to do so..." He turned and looked at her. "It was just too much for me. I couldn't face the fact that I had lost you and Gaia."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Candice snapped and gave his paw a tight squeeze. "Someone needs to stick around and keep you in line!"

Tremor smiled and laughed, much to the surprise of both dragons. "I'm glad to hear you say that." He muttered and looked down at her talons on top of his. "Because...I...I..." He swallowed hard. Candice waited patiently for him to speak. She figured that it must be hard for him to speak right now after such a traumatizing event. "Candice...What I'm trying to say...is...I...I..." Tremor took a deep breath. His sister's words from before echoed in his head. _You may want to tell her before it's too late._

"I'm really fond of you Candice!"

"What!?" Candice gasped. The next thing she knew, Tremor had leaned in and pressed his lips to to hers.


	28. Chapter 27

Candice's heart pounded in her chest. The blood in her body seemed to be on fire. Her eyes were wide from shock as she stared at the earth dragon whose lips were still pressed against hers. She recovered from the initial shock of his words but the kiss had rendered her paralyzed. Her mind raced, unable to concentrate on anything but the earth dragon before her.

"What's going on?" She screamed in her mind. "What's happening to me? I can't move! Why? Is it..." She blinked and almost instantly her mind began to settle down. She began to notice the warmth of Tremor's lips, and the relaxed expression on his face began to put her mind at ease. She delved into the feeling that tingled throughout her body. She had never felt like this before. Not even with the previous male dragons she had crushes on as a hatchling. Her eyelids drooped and finally came to a close. She leaned into the kiss, pressing her lips back against Tremors. The feeling was tantalizing.

"I can't believe it!" Candice thought to herself. "My first kiss! My first real kiss!" Feeling bolder, she let her long tongue slip through the gap in their lips. She felt Tremor's tongue twitch in surprise and she felt a sense of glee from his reaction. She let the tip explore the edges of his mouth, gliding along his gums, over his teeth, under the roof of his mouth and beneath his tongue. "This is amazing!" She cried to herself. "I never knew it would feel like this! I'm actually kissing a boy! And it's Tremor of all dragons!"

Just then her heart began to beat faster and her eyes snapped open. "Wait a minute! What am I doing!" She shouted in her mind. She pulled away and turned her back to the bewildered earth dragon.

"What's wrong?" Tremor asked, nervously. He noticed the way she held her face away from him. "Candice?"

"I'm sorry." Candice shook her head. "I just can't."

Tremor recoiled. His chest began to tighten into a knot. "What do you mean you can't? Can't what?"

"I'm sorry Tremor." Candice shook her head. "I just can't. I can't return your feelings. It just...feels..." She tried to find the right words to describe what she was feeling.

"Wrong?" Tremor wore a hurt expression.

"I...I don't know!" Candice cried. Tears were beginning to flow from her eyes. "It just...I just..." She burst into tears, unable to control her emotions anymore. The ice dragoness took off running, leaving Tremor in a lost and broken state.

Tremor felt his heart shatter inside his chest. He stared down the ground, unsure of what to say or do. Candice quickly disappeared from view and at last Tremor dared to move. He gave an exhausted sigh and looked over at the tree in the patch of green. He drew in a long breath before exhaling loudly.

"Well that could have gone better." He forced a laugh to keep from bursting into tears himself.

"Flame!" Ember called. "I think I found something!" The fire and lightning guardian bounded over the dragoness. She stood in a corner staring at the wall on the left. There was a small hole in it. Too small for any wolf, but large enough for them to squeeze through.

"Should we give this a shot?" Stella asked looking at her fellow guardian. However, most of the entrance was blocked by dead wood.

"I dunno." Flame muttered as he leered into the darkness of the hole. "I thought Spyro said the hole was large enough for a wolf to fit through."

"Maybe it's a secret entrance." Sparx suggested.

"Somehow I doubt it." Flame shook his head.

"So now you're a pessimist?" The dragonfly crossed his arms.

"You girls stay here." Flame said, ignoring the dragonfly. "I'm going to check it out with Sparx. Shout if there's trouble."

"Be careful." Ember nuzzled him worriedly.

"You do the same." He kissed her cheek. Flame turned and spat a ball of fire. The wood splintered, clearing the entrance up. Sparx handed Tremor's bouquet to Stella before disappearing into the darkness after Flame.

Inside the catacombs Snarl heard the echoing sound of breaking wood. He turned his nose up and sniffed the air.

"The guardians are closing in." He turned to his pack. "We will finish them off here, before they can attempt to rescue the purple one." The pack growled mildly. They knew they needed to be quiet in order to set up an ambush. Their tails wagged in eager anticipation.

"That will not be necessary right now." Snarl and the other wolves jumped in surprise. The lanterns in the tunnels burned out as the shadows drew closer to the pack. The wolves shrank back as the dark magic reached out for them before taking shape. Malefor glared down at the wolves and curled his lips.

"Why are you ordering us to wait?" Snarl grumbled. "I thought it was the purple one you required. Not the guardians."

"That was the plan originally." Malefor turned his evil eyes on the Alpha. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed Snarl around the throat and lifted him off the floor. "But thanks to you and your undisciplined pack, you cost me my crystal! It was the surest way for me to retrieve my power and you fowled it up!"

"That was not our fault!" The Alpha wheezed, struggling to break free of the Dark Master's grasp. "The black dragoness..."

"No excuses!" Malefor roared. His voice echoed back to the tunnel opening.

"Did you hear that?" Flame froze.

"Yes, sadly." Sparx whimpered and hid behind Flame's head. "Can we go now?"

"Not unless you want to leave Spyro behind." Flame cringed. He was not looking forward to facing the forces in this dark place where he had no room to fly.

"Man, the things I do for Spyro." Sparx shook his head.

The wolves drew closer together, pressing towards the back wall. Malefor narrowed his eyes at Snarl. "I warned you fairly not to take those two young dragons lightly. But even then you failed to head my warning. Perhaps then if you won't obey orders, I will find someone else who will and dispose of you!"

"No!" Snarl barked. "We will not fail you again! I swear it!" There was an authentic tone of fear in the Alpha's voice.

Malefor's lip curled, revealing his long serrated teeth. He paused for a long moment, debating if he should end the pack leader's life now or later. "Very well." He growled reluctantly. He released Snarl and dropped him to his knees. "You have one more chance. But if you fail me again, you will suffer a fate worse than death. Do I make my self clear Pack Leader?" He brought his nose right up to the wolf's so Snarl could feel the full evilness of his intentions.

"I understand." Snarl bowed.

Malefor's aura drifted back into the shadows and vanished within his host's body. The black dragon's eyes glowed purple. "There isn't much time." He hissed, Malefor's presence still lurking in his voice. "Three of your wolves will stay behind and provide a distraction for you and the rest of your pack to escape. "Bring the black dragoness to me! I may have to use her if I'm to restore my true power."

"And what of the purple one?" Snarl rose to his feet, rubbing his neck. The dark magic had burned through his fur and left him with a nasty burn. However, the Alpha was unwilling to show any weakness in front of the dragon.

"Leave him. His friends will surely find him."

"I thought you needed him to regain your powers?"

"He's no good to me dead!" The black dragon bellowed. "He must recover in order for me to drain his power again!"

"Forgive me." Snarl hung his head slightly, biting his tongue. He despised this dragon deeply.

"Go! Make sure your warriors do not fail me again!" Snarl barked over his shoulder and the pack yipped to life. They scattered into the various tunnels as fast as they could. As Malefor had ordered, only three remained behind. Snarl nodded to them. The warriors bared their fangs and their fur stood on end. The Alpha hated to send his own comrades to their deaths. But he felt it necessary this time to save the rest of his pack.

The Alpha left the three where they stood and returned to the dungeon. Cynder was shackled inside a cell, her legs bound together and her muzzle tied tight. He grabbed a wire net that hung on the wall and dropped the unconscious dragoness into it. He threw her over his shoulder, not caring how roughly she was handled. The wire cut into Cynder's scales, drawing little drops of blood. The wolf leader snarled in disgust and disappeared into the darkness.

**I kept smiling and laughing to myself when I wrote the beginning of this chapter. I'm sure Aduro is pretty pissed right now because of it. Lol. Set the scene up like a lemon then kill it from left field. *Maniacal laugh***


	29. Chapter 28

"This place still gives me the creeps." Sparx whispered. "I remember when Spyro and I first came here to save Volteer. There were apes everywhere. And don't even get me started on the Ice King. I thought it was just a frozen statue, but no. It had to be a giant monster that wanted to kill us like every other force in the world."

"Will you keep it down?" Flame hissed. "They'll hear you!"

"Well excuse me! I ramble when I'm nervous."

"You ramble even when you're not."

"That's not true."

The bickering ended when they heard a growl don the corridor. Flame ducked into the shadows as much as he could. He and Sparx had emerged from the the tunnel leading in to the catacombs and had been exploring for several minutes. They had heard the sounds of wolves moving about but everything had quickly grown silent.

"Where the hell are these bloody dragons?" A deep voice grumbled. "I know they're around her somewhere." Sparx and Flame both looked at each other.

"I think it's a trap." Sparx whispered.

"Sh!" Flame hissed.

"Did you hear that?" One of the wolves stopped and lifted and ear.

"Yeah. It sounds like they're close." The lead wolf snarled and licked his lips.

Flame swallowed hard. He couldn't see very well in the darkness and there were hardly any lanterns around. He was about to turn and retreat back down the corridor when he got an idea.

"Sparx, I can't see. I need you to be my eyes right now."

"What? I'm not your own portable lantern." The dragonfly retorted offendedly. "Use your fire breath."

"If I do, then what if they have Cynder or Spyro? We can't risk hurting them to try and get at the wolves."

"Fine!" Sparx grumbled and fluttered out from their hiding spot. He took a deep breath and got up all his courage. "Here goes nothing." He puffed his chest out and took off down the dark hall, screaming at the top of his lungs. The wolves yelped and jumped in surprise, dropping the black dragon they were carrying. Sparx hollered in their ears as he zipped around their heads in dizzying circles, blinding them with his bright golden glow. The wolves snarled and swung at the insect, but Sparx was too fast and small for them to hit.

"Sparx! Move!" Flame shouted. The dragonfly ducked to the ground as a wave of fire rushed towards him. He covered his antennae as the tornado of fire burned the wolves above him. The canines howled in pain as they burned away. The roar of the flames died off and the dragonfly dared to open his eyes.

"Sorry about that." Flame apologized as he walked up. Sparx dusted the ash off himself and checked to see if anything was scorched.

"Oh no problem." Sparx waved a hand. "Glad I could be your decoy. Next time, it's your turn and I'll scorch you when you least expect it."

Flame chuckled. "Sure. Whatever you say Sparx."

"Flame!" Ember's voice called from down the corridor. A shower of sparklers illuminated the torches in the tunnel. The fire dragoness and Stella came bounding down the hall. "Are you alright? I heard someone screaming." She came to a halt in front of him and gave him a quick inspection.

"I'm fine." Flame nodded. "It was just Sparx providing a distraction."

"Like I do best." The dragonfly crossed his arms proudly.

"Liun!" Stella cried. Flame and Sparx turned around. The wolves had been carrying the black dragon and had dropped him when Sparx had surprised them. The dragon was unconscious and Stella nudged him with her snout. "Liun? Liun, wake up!" She pleaded. After several minutes, the black dragon groaned. "Thank goodness." Stella sighed with relief when his eyes opened.

"Wha-where am I?" He whimpered.

"It's okay now." Stella lay down and draped a wing around him comfortingly. "You're safe."

"Stella? What happened?" He lifted his head and clutched at it with his paw.

"You've been missing for a couple hours now." Stella stroked his head softly. "You disappeared after the first attack. We've been looking for you along with Spyro and Cynder."

"Spyro? Cynder?" The black dragon looked slightly dazed.

"We need to get moving." Flame said. "Stella, you take Liun back to the surface and wait for us there. Ember, Sparx and I are going to find Spyro and Cynder."

"Right!" Stella nodded. She positioned herself under Liun and helped him to his feet. The black dragon was a little wobbly but was able to stay on all fours.

"Good luck." Liun sighed as he Stella helped him down the hall. Flame nodded before turning back to Ember.

"We should hurry."

"Oh my god! You're hurt!" Ember gasped.

"What?" Flame and Sparx exclaimed together and glanced at one another. The fire breather checked over the dragonfly but found no sign of injury.

"I think Sparx is fine." Flame looked up to see Ember's face up close to his. "Ember?"

"You're wing!" She pointed at the long bleeding gash on his wing biceps.

"Oh that?" Flame looked over his wound. "I guess I had forgotten about that."

"When did that happen?"

"During the fight when the wolves ambushed us. I got nicked but I guess I just didn't pay it any attention."

"Flame, it's dangerous to leave a wound like that untreated in this environment!" Ember scolded. "Come here!" She wrapped her tail around his neck and yanked him close to her. She pressed her chest up to his and kissed him deeply. Almost instantly the wound sealed up. Sparx averted his gaze. He was surrounded by dragons who were in love with one another. It was almost too much for him to have to leave whenever Cynder and Spyro started kissing.

Ember released Flame and brought her tail spade under his chin. "Don't do that again, understood. I don't want anything happening to you and I'm not around to help you."

"Then I guess I'll just have to keep you at my side then huh." Flame gave his usual goofy grin. Ember gave him a look.

"You're lucky you're so cute."

"Hey, can we get going love birds?" Sparx interrupted. "We need to find Spyro and Cynder."

"Uh, right." Flame nodded. The three friends dashed down the hall with Sparx leading the way. As they moved along they lit the torches, to help guide their way. After a good half-hour of searching Sparx came to a halt.

"Hey, does it bother you two that we haven't seen anymore wolves around?"

Both fire breathers looked at each other. "Yeah, now that you mention it." Flame nodded.

"What are you thinking?" Ember asked with a raised brow. "You don't think they fled do you?"

"I don't see why they would." Flame shook his head. "They have the advantage in a place like this. They could easily..." His voice trailed off.

"Surround us? Ambush us? Kill us?" Sparx finished.

The two dragons didn't move for several minutes. At last Flame turned to Ember. "Go with Sparx back to the surface. If I don't make it back in one hour, I want you to leave without me. You may need to bring the other guardians back here if it comes to that."

"Not in your life." Ember shook her head violently. "We're a pair and a team. Not even the Dark Master could drag me away from you!"

"Ember..."

"No!" The pink dragoness pressed her nose to his and Flame saw a fire burn in her eyes that he had never seen before. It almost made him afraid. Ember placed a paw on his chest and let her talons dig into his chest scales enough to get the point across that she would not leave him.

"Alright, alright." He winced and drew away. He looked to Sparx. "You can head back to the surface if you want. You don't have to come with us."

"No I don't." Sparx shook his head. "But I wouldn't leave Spyro unless I absolutely had to."

The young fire guardian sighed. He continued down the corridor with Ember and Sparx at his side. The three friends proceeded more cautiously, expecting an attack at any moment. After some time they stumbled across the dungeons. Ember lit the torches and Sparx flew about the cells, checking for any sign of the missing dragons.

"Whoa!" He stopped when he came to a cell where the bars had been melted through. He waved a hand from the putrid smell. "Yeah, that's Cynder's work alright."

"Do you think she escaped?" Ember asked as she studied the melted metal.

"Sure looks that way." Sparx nodded. "Maybe she found Spyro and they made it out of here."

"I'm not too sure about that." Flame said from across the cell block. None of the other cages have been broken into. I'm almost guessing that she and Spyro were separated when she broke out."

"Then what are we waiting her for, playing detective?" Sparx exclaimed. "Let's see if we can actually find them."

Ember moved ahead to light the way down the darkened corridors. She spat another stream of sparklers. The light revealed a small chamber ahead. The fire breathers entered the room and stared into the darkness.

"It's cold in here." Ember shivered. "I don't like it."

"I know what you mean." Flame moved closer to her. "See if you can find a torch nearby." He leaned his head back and spewed a tower of fire. The flames illuminated the room in a bright orange light as they spattered against the ceiling high above.

Suddenly Ember screamed. Flame shut his mouth and the light died away.

"Ember, what is it?"

"S-S-Sp..." The dragoness stared into the darkness with a paw over her mouth. Flame followed her eyes and inhaled again. He fired a ball into the air. The fireball exploded drenching the room in a deep red aura. Sparx looked sickened at the sight before him and Flame's eyes grew wide.

Across the chamber was Spyro. His body hung limp in a crucified posed. His forearms stretched to the sides and were chained to a pair of spears that hung from the ceiling. His wings were torn and hung limp at his back. Blood trickled from his mouth and several open wounds across his body forming a small puddle beneath him. On the wall behind him was a message written in the purple dragons own blood: This is only the beginning of the end.

Ember turned and wretched all over the floor. As she continued to hurl, Flame slowly approached his friend. When he was close enough he fire a quick burst of fire, burning the spears. The weapons broke and Spyro fell to the floor. Flame placed a paw on his friend's neck, expecting the worst. Much to his relief he felt a pulse.

"He's alive." He announced as Sparx drew closer. The dragonfly was unsure of what to make of the scene. He had ever seen his brother in this sort of state before or treated so savagely. Flame looked back towards his dragoness who trying to get herself under control but wasn't being very successful. "Sparx, Take Ember back to the surface." Flame ordered. "I'll be right behind you guys once I get Spyro out of these chains."

"You got it." Sparx saluted. He flew back to the dragoness. "Come on Ember. We need to get you out of here and into some fresh air." The dragoness didn't argue. She staggered after him as he led her back into the hallway. Flame watched her leave and listened to the sounds of her chokes and gags echo down the tunnel. He bit down on the chains that bound Spyro and pulled them off. He could taste Spyro's blood on the metal and it left a bitter residue on his tongue. When he leaned down to hoist the purple dragon up, his body felt cold.

"Damn it!" He cursed. "Those wolves just left you to freeze to death. Damned savages." With a loud grunt he hefted Spyro up onto his back. Once he got himself situated he turned back to the hallway and headed for the surface.


	30. Chapter 29

"How are you feeling?" Stella asked as she looked Liun over for any wounds. Surprisingly the black dragon didn't have a scratch on him.

"I'm doing alright." He replied. "Just a little chilled." He gave a slight shiver.

"Aw, you poor thing." Stella smiled playfully and scooted closer to him and draped her wing around him, pulling him closer to her. "Is that a little bit better?"

"Much." The dragon smirked and pressed himself closer to her. He looked back at the entrance to the cave. "Do you think they're alright?"

"I'm pretty sure they are." Stella sighed. "I'm more worried about Spyro and Cynder's safety right now."

"Hm." Liun bobbed his head slightly. "Say, where are the other two?"

"Huh?" Stella cocked her head slightly.

"Tremor and Candice. Are they..."

"I don't know." Stella looked him in the eye with worry written all over her face. "I hope they're safe. We separated a while ago."

"Shouldn't we go look for them?"

"We'll find them after Flame, Ember and Sparx return."

"Ok..." Liun sighed, almost seeming disappointed. He glanced up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, casting streaks of red, orange and yellow across the sky. He heard the leather beating of wings against the wind and turned to see Candice coming in for a landing.

"Candice!" Stella called and waved a paw. The ice dragoness set down in the snow and walked over to the two dragons huddled together. Stella was excited to see her but her smile disappeared. Candice was trembling all over. Her lips quivered uncontrollably and her eyes were red and puffy. Stella was about to speak when they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Stella turned back to the cave entrance to see a light coming towards them. "Sparx? Is that you?" She called.

"Yeah, it's me." The dragonfly called back. "I've got Ember here. She's not doing too well, you may want to make some room."

"Is she alright?" Stella gasped. She and Liun backed away from the cave entrance. Ember staggered out of the darkness and immediately collapsed onto the ground. "Ember!" Stella gasped and moved to the fire dragon's side. Ember lay in the snow, breathing hard, her sides heaving and her stomach convulsing.

"You may want to give her some space." Sparx warned. "She's been throwing up the whole way back."

"What? Why?" Stella looked up at the dragonfly, almost afraid of his answer.

"We found Spyro." Sparx shook his head sadly.

"Oh, my god!" Stella jerked her head back. "Is he..."

"He's alive." Sparx wiped a hand across his forehead. "But he's in pretty bad shape. I've never seen him that messed up before in all the years we've been together."

"Oh man." Stella murmured. "Where is he? Is Flame with him? Is he alright too?"

"Flame is with him." Sparx nodded and looked back down the hole. "He told me to take Ember back and that he'd be right behind us."

"Should we go in after him?" The lightning dragoness took a couple steps towards the cave entrance.

"No." Ember wheezed. She opened her eyes and looked up at her friends. "Flame will be here shortly. I know he will." No sooner had she spoken than they heard the fire guardian's voice from inside the hole.

"Hey, I need some help in here!"

"Flame!" Ember called as loud she could. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Flame's voice called back. "But I need someone to take Spyro from me so we can get him outside. I can't get up this ledge with him still on my back."

"Alright! Just hold on!" With a loud groan, Ember forced herself onto her stomach and struggled to rise.

"It's okay, I'll go." Liun stepped forward much to everyone's surprise.

"Thank you." Ember whimpered before collapsing again.

Liun slipped into the hole, his black scales making him disappear from view almost instantly. He moved deeper in and came to the ledge that opened up to the corridor. He looked down and saw Flame with Spyro's body draped over his back. The ledge was a good six feet up from the floor. Flame stood about four and half feet and could have easily made the leap but with the purple dragon slowing him down, it would not have been any easy task to reach the ledge without dropping Spyro.

"Sorry to ask this, but I might need you as a stepping stone." The fire breather panted. Liun looked down at Spyro for a long moment in silence. "Hey, Liun. You alright man?"

"Huh? Yeah." Liun dropped to the floor and squatted down in front of Flame with his back to him. "Go for it." He said when he was ready. Flame reached up and placed his paws on the black dragon's shoulders before stepping onto his back. He wobbled slightly as he tried to maintain his balance with Spyro on his back and climb the black dragon at the same time. Slowly he reached out and grabbed the top of the ledge. Liun lifted himself up and boosted the two dragons up.

"Got it, thanks." Flame called. He moved towards the light as quickly as he could. Once outside he staggered forward, nearly dropping Spyro. "Stand aside." He warned the others. The other dragons all moved away from the wall as Flame blew a wave of fire against it. The snow melted and exposed the muddy earth beneath it.

"What are you doing?" Sparx demanded. We need to get Spyro out of here now."

"It's too risky Sparx." Ember pointed out. "He's already badly hurt and it will be night soon. We should wait until morning before moving him and when we can see better."

The dragonfly bit his lip. "Alright." He sighed reluctantly. "Where are we setting up camp?"

"Right here." Flame gasped for breath and breathed another wave of fire. The mud slowly began to harden as the snow evaporated. After several more blasts, he set Spyro down on the warm ground.

"He looks terrible." Stella shook her head as she eyes the dragon in the fading light. Spyro's wounds still bled openly and his once brilliant purple scales seemed to be faded.

"Let;s just focus on keeping him warm right now." Flame said as he walked around Spyro to a pile of broken posts. "Ember, if you're up to it, see what you can do for him. I'm going to start a fire to help keep the chill away."

"I'll do my best." Ember nodded. She sighed and let the cool vapor chill her mind, relaxing her and settling her thoughts. She moved close to Spyro and placed her paws on his side. She closed her eyes and her pendant began to glow. Liun emerged from the cave and watched her go about her business for a moment before looking at Stella who smiled back. It was then that Stella turned back to Candice gasped.

"Candice! You're nose is bleeding!"

"It is?" The ice dragoness wiped her snout with a paw. It was bleeding alright.

"Are you alright? What's going on?" Stella walked over and eyed her friend closely.

"I'm fine." Candice squeaked, trying to hide the blood. She clenched a paw over her snout and squeezed gently. "Really."

Stella wasn't fooled for an instant. "Candice, something's wrong." She narrowed her eyes at the dragoness trying to find what she was hiding. Then she realized what was missing. "Wait, did something happen to Tremor?"

Candice's eyes locked onto Stella's. She was frozen, unable to respond.

"Candice?" Stella leaned in closer. "Did something happen to Tremor?"

"No, and you can stop asking." Every head snapped around and up. High above them on the wall stood the earth guardian in the last of the fading sunset. Candice noticed the glow the light gave his scales. He looked like an epic hero, standing triumphantly in the sunset. But the ice dragoness knew better. She turned her head away, unable to look at him.

"Where have you been?" Stella demanded. "We were worried about you."

"I appreciate the concern." Tremor sighed. "But you don't have to worry anymore. I'm here and that's all that matters."

"We're still missing Cynder." Flame pointed out as he smashed a piece of dead wood. He had already managed to compile a good-sized stack of the splintered chunks.

"Hm..." Tremor looked around the group. Ember was still concentrating on Spyro. Liun just sat nearby watching everything. When his eyes drifted to Candice, his heart sank lower and the tiny remains of it broke yet again. He felt the knot rise in his throat and he coughed to clear it out. "You guys keep doing what you're doing." He said and puffed his chest out to make himself look bigger. "I'll stand guard and keep an eye out."

"What? Are you sure?" Stella asked, the concern clear in her voice.

"Absolutely." The earth dragon nodded. Then as he turned away, her added. "It's not like I'm going to be getting much sleep as it is anyways."


	31. Chapter 30

The night had been long and cold. Tremor had spent the entire time pacing back and forth along the walls surrounding his friends. There had been no signs of any wolves around or the missing black dragoness. He sighed for the millionth time that night and stared down at his fellow guardians. The fire that Flame had managed to start burned slowly, much to their relief. Ember had been able to heal Spyro's wounds and restore some of his lost energy before she began to grow tired herself. The group had finally curled up together for the night and were sleeping soundly. At least from what he saw.

Down below, Candice watched as the earth dragon paced throughout the night, his silhouette visible against the night sky which was full of stars. She was only able to see his face when he made a pass by the fire. Each pass he made, he would glance down at her, pause for a moment then move on. Each time, Candice pretended to be asleep, keeping one eye cracked slightly to watch him.

After his twelfth pass, Candice sighed sadly. She felt like a hole had been burned through her chest leaving an empty void where her heart was. "Why do I feel this way?" She thought to herself as she stared into the fire light. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier that day. She had meant what she had said to him when she apologized. But it was the sudden kiss that shocked her. Her cheeks began to burn again as she remembered the sensation that swept through her body. The feeling that someone had cared enough about her to make such a gesture was unfamiliar, but also not at the same time. But the fact that it had been from Tremor still troubled her.

Candice huffed a cloud of ice in irritation. She had never liked Tremor up until Gaia had been killed. And even after that she had never considered him as a potential, if at all possible, boyfriend. She couldn't deny that she did worry about him, but she was unable to understand why. Yet he had somehow developed feelings for her and had expressed them so boldly and openly. She had kissed him back, and this made her even more furious because she had enjoyed it. Did she ever enjoy the feelings she got from having her lips pressed against his and her tongue exploring the insides of his mouth. The dragoness had been completely at peace during that moment of ecstasy. It felt right. But her mind wouldn't let her be at ease.

"I just don't understand it." The dragoness whispered to herself as tears began to form again. "I never cared what Tremor thought before. So why do I feel so bad about this?" She curled her tail around herself and turned away from the fire. Tremor wasn't going to be the only one not getting sleep that night.

When the dragons awoke the next morning, it was already midday. Flame gathered everyone together, anxious to leave the barren tundra. There was no food around so the dragons had to fly hungry. Exhausted as he was, Tremor assisted in carrying Spyro along when Flame began to grow tired. The purple dragon remained unconscious throughout the flight over the ocean. As soon as they saw land, the formation began to descend onto the beach. Tremor dug the group an alcove in to the side of the high cliffs to shelter them from the wind and sand blowing in their faces.

"I'm going to head inland a little bit and try and find anything decent to eat." Tremor announced after the girls had finished making Spyro comfy and starting a fire. "Any requests?" He said with a half-hearted smile.

"How about two tons of sheep." Ember suggested, her stomach roared loudly.

"I'll see what I can do." Tremor chuckled. He headed for the cave entrance. Candice watched him out of the corner of her eye. When he was gone she spat a cloud of frost across the cave.

"Hey, what gives?" Flame asked looking at the frozen patch on the wall.

"Nothing." Candice muttered and rested her head on her paws.

"Are you sure?" Flame raised a brow. "You and Tremor haven't said anything to each other since your..."

"Flame?" Ember interrupted and gave his cheek a warm lick with her tongue. "Would you be a dear and go help Tremor with the hunting? I'm sure he could use the extra help."

"That's a good idea." Stella nodded taking the cue from her friend. "Liun, you should lend a hand too."

"Me?" The black dragon raised his head. He had been laying in the corner by himself away from the group.

"Yeah. Go on." Stella nudged him hard to get him moving. Reluctantly the black dragon followed the fire guardian outside before taking off into the early evening sky.

When they were certain the boys were out of earshot, Stella walked over to Candice. "Are you really alright?" She asked. The ice dragoness huffed a cloud of ice and turned away from them to face the wall. Stella sighed. She wanted to help her friend out but felt that she shouldn't push her at this point. "Well, whenever you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"We all are." Ember corrected her. Candice remained silent. She squeezed her eyes shut and did her best not to start crying again. She wanted to talk to someone desperately. But how could she tell them? Her best friends and fellow guardians. Candice gritted her teeth and three tears froze at the rims of her eyes.

Stella started to walk away when she heard Candice whisper. "Thank you."

"Any time." The lightning dragoness replied with a gentle smile. "By the way..." She went back to Ember for a moment before returning to the ice dragoness. "You may want to keep this." She suggested before walking away. Candice turned her head to see the bouquet Tremor had made for her. She stared at it for several minutes. The flowers were all different colors and sizes with the smaller ones lining the sides of the larger ones. She squinted at the message inscribed on the stone band, holding them together.

_I'm sorry. I Love You._

At first Candice didn't know what to say or do. She couldn't truly say anything; not in front of Stella and Ember. She felt her heart jolt and her stomach fluttered. Candice sighed and drew the bouquet in close to her with her wing. She put her nose up to the flowers and smelled their fragrance. They smelled wonderful and the scent relaxed her. Her thoughts drifted back to the earth dragon. He really wasn't all that bad was we? She inhaled the aroma, deeper this time and sighed loudly. Ember and Stella glanced over at her for a moment but said nothing. Candice let the scent of the flowers over take her senses as she drifted into a light nap.

Several more hours passed. Ember, Stella, Sparx and Candice had all fallen asleep. They awoke at the sound of flapping wings at the cave's entrance. Flame and Liun landed, both carrying a different prey item in their jaws. A dead five-soot shark dangled from Flame's jaws, blood and water still dripping from its teeth. Liun trotted proudly over to the fire with a large tuna dragging along beside him.

"Wow." Ember nodded praisingly. "You boys made off pretty good."

"Yeah." Flame smiled as he set his shark down. It was then Ember noticed the burn mark on the fish's back. She looked up at Flame who grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. At least it's partly cooked already."

"I hear that shark fins are supposed to be the best part." Stella licked her lips ravenously.

"Where did you hear that?"

"The dragon elders in my home city." She smiled proudly.

"I guess we'll have to find out then for ourselves." Flame dragged the shark over and set it down next to Liun's tuna. "Turns out Liun is a pretty good aim with his black lightning attacks."

"Is that so?" Stella looked over at the black dragon with an inquisitive look in her eyes. "He's never mentioned anything about that to me."

The black dragon smirked. "Now I can't just go around and try and show off for a guardian." He laughed. "It wouldn't be right if I somehow showed you up."

"Oh you think so huh?" Stella rose to her feet and brought herself nose to nose with Liun. "You seem so...confident." She began to circle him flirtatiously, brushing her sides and tail barb against his sleek black scales. "I guess that I'll have to take you up on that challenge some time." Liun just gritted his teeth against the torturous pleasure. At last Stella licked his cheek before kissing him on the eyelid.

"Well, what do you say we get this cooked up?" Ember suggested and breathed more fire onto the pile of driftwood they had collected earlier. Flame and Ember roasted the fish quickly and divided the pickings between them. When Candice received her portion she suddenly sat upright.

"Tremor!" She gasped. "We have to save some for Tremor."

"Save...what...for me?" The dragons turned to the mouth of the cave. The earth dragon trudged into the light. He had several vines tangled around his body in an attempt to make a harness.

"What the happened to you?" Flame raised a brow.

"Nothing." Tremor shook his head. "Just been dragging these bastards for the past three plus hours." He turned and pulled hard on the vines. Behind him was a large chunk of a tree, split in half and used as a sled to carry his catch of the day. One large cow and four medium-sized sheep.

"Dear ancestors!" The guardians gasped. "Where do you find them?"

"Just mingling about aimlessly." Tremor shook himself free of the vines. "Catching them wasn't a problem, getting them back here was another story." He gave an exhausted laugh.

"Well we hate to make your efforts go to waste." Ember cringed, not wanting to hurt the earth dragon's feelings. "But Flame and Liun just brought back their food."

"Oh." Tremor wore a blank stare. "Well, then if you wouldn't mind cooking one of these up for me..." He dragged one of the sheep carcasses out from under the vines that held it down.

"I suppose I can do that?" The dragoness smiled. "Just bring 'em here by the fire and I'll get to work on one for you."

"Thanks I appreciate it." Tremor yawned loudly. He hadn't slept for going on two and a half days. Candice noticed the way he sort of swaggered over to them but remained silent. Her eyes drifted to the spot where she had been sleeping and saw the flowers still laying on the cave floor. She gave a startled squeak and bit her lower lip, hoping that he wouldn't see them. Unbeknownst to the ice dragoness, Tremor did notice, but showed no signs of it. He clumsily handed his sheep off to Ember who burned the fur away with her breath.

Tremor lay down in front of the fire while the dragoness seared his food for him. The flames danced around before him casting hard shadows around the walls and ceiling of the cave. He could feel Candice's eyes on him. It took every bit of willpower he had left not to glance over at her.

The cave was silent except for the crackling of the fire and sounds of the young dragons gorging themselves. Tremor was halfway through his sheep when a loud groan grabbed everyone's attention. Spyro's eyelids twitched and his nostrils flared.

"Is it breakfast time yet?" He mumbled and opened his eyes. "Something smells good."

"Spyro! You're awake!" Sparx exclaimed excitedly.

"You've been out for a couple days now." Ember said, relieved that he was finally awake.

"A couple days?" Spyro blinked a few times before rubbing his eyes. "Where am I?"

"We're back on the mainland." Flame explained. "Ember and I found our way into the fortress and found you." His tone darkened. "You were pretty messed up though Spyro. We almost didn't think you'd make it."

Spyro listened with a blank stare on his face while his mind slowly came to grasp what was going on. All at once he was fully awake. "Cynder! Where's Cynder?" He looked around the cave but found no sign on his black dragoness. The guardians all looked at one another. None of them really wanted to tell him the truth. At last Tremor spoke up.

"We couldn't find her. We believe she may have broken out but we aren't positive."

"But if she got away, why wouldn't she come back to us?" Spyro half whimpered half choked. He suddenly felt very alone and empty.

"We don't know buddy." Sparx shook his head.

"It was just a guess." Flame sighed. "It's also a possibility that the wolves took her away. We found them trying to carry Liun off." Spyro, Flame and Ember all looked at the black dragon who looked more bored than concerned.

"Then we have to go!" Spyro was already on his feet and aiming for the mouth of the cave. "We have to find Cynder!" He took one step and his legs buckled. He hit the ground with a loud thud and Ember helped him sit up.

"Spyro, you just woke up. You need to rest for a little bit longer." She said sternly.

"I don't need to rest!" Spyro protested. "We need to find Cynder! If the Dark Master has her, then there's no telling what he'll do to her!"

"We know." Stella jumped in, trying to calm the purple dragon down with her gentle tone. "But you need to rest first so we can all look for her together."

"There's no time!" Spyro snapped. He was struggling to get back up but his body wouldn't respond. "I can't lose her! I can't lose her to the Dark Master!" He hung his head pleadingly. "Not again. You don't know what it's like when Malefor turns someone you care about into a monster."

"Spyro, buddy." Sparx rested a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You can't help her if you're not at full strength man. I know it's going to be hard, but your buddies seem to know what they're talking about. I suggest you listen to them."

Spyro wanted to cry but restrained himself. "Alright." He sighed. "I will."

"It's a good thing too." Liun smirked. "You wouldn't do anyone any good going out in the stat you're in."

"Liun!" Stella scolded sharply.

"What?" Liun shrank back slightly. "I was just saying when he's weak he shouldn't be over exerting himself. I mean, it's not healthy for a dragon to be stressed out, because it can lead to serious health problems if it continues for too long." The guardians all looked at each other. They knew he had a point but didn't like the way he was putting it. "Seriously, it's common knowledge Spyro. We all learned that when we were hatchlings."

"Liun, that's enough!" Stella hissed and bolts of electricity crackled between her teeth.

"It's okay." Sparx waved a hand, calming the lightning dragoness down and stopping his brother before he could say anything. "I'll handle this." He floated over to Liun who cocked his head curiously. Sparx brought himself close to the black dragon's face and crossed his arms for a second thinking to himself. The guardians glanced at one another again, unsure of what the dragonfly was going to say. "Ahem." Sparx cleared his throat. He leaned back before throwing a hard punch into the black dragon's eye. Liun roared in pain and staggered back several steps, clutching at his face. "You have no right to talk about our parents like that when you know nothing about how Spyro and I grew up!" Sparx shouted angrily and pointed a punishing finger at the dragon. "Spyro never knew any other dragons growing up until he met Ignitus! So you had better watch what you say!"

"Why you insolent little insect!" Liun glared at him. His eye was throbbing and watering from the pain. He sprang after Sparx and snapped at him. The dragonfly easily dodged him. The black dragon bared his teeth and black flames licked at the sides of his mouth.

Spyro saw what was coming. "No!" He cried. All of a sudden he sprang forward and threw himself in front of Sparx as the black dragon released a blast of shadow fire. Sparx watched with wide eyes as his brother hit the ground hard. Spyro groaned, his right arm and belly were badly burned. "Spyro!" Sparx hovered beside his brother. "Aw man, I'm sorry!"

"D-don't be." Spyro forced a laugh through the pain.

"Sparx, let me see him." Candice rushed over the them and looked closely at the burns. Spyro's scales were already charred he was beginning to bleed. "I can help, but it's going to hurt." She warned. Before Spyro could say anything she breathed a cloud of frost from her jaws. The vapor made the burns throb even more. Spyro screamed and tried to sit up but Candice held him down. After a couple seconds, the purple dragon's side went numb. He gasped for breath as Candice covered his burns in ice. Ember watched closely, waiting for Candice to move aside so she could contribute to helping heal Spyro again.

Candice stepped back and turned and icy glare on Liun. "What the hell do you think you're doing, using your powers in a place like this? And at such a time! Sparx didn't deserve that and neither did Spyro! Now Ember has to help him again! After we all busted our tails to help him recover not even two days ago!"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who struck first!" Liun growled at her. "It wouldn't have happened if Spyro had just stayed out of the way! Or better yet, listened to his friends like he's supposed to!" The black dragon's eyes narrowed at her. "I suppose I couldn't blame him though. I wouldn't want to listen to you either, seeing as how Tremor can't stand listening to a preachy bitch like you. It's no wonder a weakling like you couldn't even beat that wolf on your own. Even in you're own territory where you supposedly have an advantage. They sure picked a winner when they chose you for guardian."

Liun slammed into the wall of the cave. The impact caused the walls to shake and the black dragon slumped to the ground. Everyone's eyes were as wide as saucers. Liun shook his head to try and fight the dizziness. He looked up as Tremor walked up to him, his lips curled into an angry snarl. Liun had never seen the hit coming. He tasted blood and a couple teeth fell from his mouth.

"Let's get something straight here." Tremor growled, bringing his nose to Liun's as he got up. "No one talks about Candice like that. And if anyone does, it's going to be me and no exceptions."

Behind him, the other dragons looked at Candice. The ice dragoness's mouth hung open in shock and her cheeks burned red. Even though she had treated Tremor the way she had, he was still willing to defend her honor. And he had moved quick to do it. She had never known he could move so fast. At last Candice couldn't take the churning of her stomach and the throbbing of her heart and she had to turn away.

"Do I make myself clear you sorry excuse for an ashtray?" Tremor reared back to reveal his true height and leered down at the black dragon.

Liun hissed and shoved the earth dragon away from him. "Do you want to go claw to claw with me, guardian? Because I will make short work of you!"

"That actually sounds like fun." Tremor spread his wings wide. "I would absolutely love to see you try. I'd be more worried about what I'll do to you."

Liun spit and hit the earth dragon in the chest. "Tremor, you've been up for two days straight on guard duty and out hunting. You're exhausted and hungry, so I would be willing to bet that you wouldn't fare to well against me right now if ever."

"Tremor..." Candice took a step forward. She didn't want him to fight. Liun had made Tremor's handicap clear. The earth dragon drew a wing back without looking at her, cutting her off in mid-sentence.

Tremor wore a haughty smirk across his face. "Well then, if that's the case and you think you can beat me..." He raised a paw and gestured for the black dragon to charge him. "Then come prove it."

"Your funeral." Liun snarled and lunged for Tremor's throat.


	32. Chapter 31

An earth missile rocketed out of the cave and exploded. The black dragon hit the ground in a shower of sand. Tremor walked outside, and moved away from the mouth of the cave. He kept his eyes on Liun as he shook the sand off himself.

"Lucky shot." The dragon leered at the guardian.

"You think so huh?" Tremor gave a superior smirk. "There's a big difference between luck and skill."

"Don't you lecture me on skill!" Liun snarled and charged again. Tremor side-stepped him again and let the dragon run into his clubbed tail. Liun staggered forward from the hit. In a flash he whirled around and fired a bolt of black ligtning. The light blinded Tremor and he closed his eyes. The bolt struck him in the chest, just to the left of his previous injury. He grunted from the pain and stumbled back. Liun ran in and tackled Tremor to the ground.

The other guardians all rushed outside and were staring as the two combatants rolling over each other clawing and snarling wildly.

"What do we do!" Stella gasped in horror as she watched Tremor kick Liun off only to have the black dragon jump back onto him.

"I have no idea!" Flame shook his head.

"Should we jump in and break up the fight, or what?" Candice glanced over at them.

"We have to do something!" Stella insisted. "Otherwise, they'll kill each other!"

"I don't think so." Flame gave her a quick glance. "Right now I say we let Tremor handle it until it looks like he needs our assistance."

"But Flame..." Stella began to protest.

"I know." Flame placed a comforting paw on her shoulder. "I don't like it either but I'm certain Tremor can handle this."

"I...I guess." Stella turned her attention back to the fight.

Liun roared and slashed Tremor across the face. The earth dragon's blood splattered across the sand and was instantly buried beneath the two dragons. "You won't be able to beat me!" Liun laughed. "You're too tired, too confident and too slow!" He struck Tremor again leaving three claw marks across his forehead. He was about to follow up with another swipe with his claws when Tremor blocked him. Liun gasped in surprise. Tremor smiled. He hit Liun in the face with his forehead causing the black dragon to rear back. When his mid-section was exposed, Tremor struck him hard with his tail. Liun choked and gasped for air, collapsing to the sand.

"I'm not trying to kill you." Tremor yawned as if he were bored. "So don't think that I'm really trying to fight you."

"Why you smug bastard!" Liun sucked his air back in and struck Tremor beneath the jaw. He rammed Tremor as hard as he could and sent the earth guardian rolling across the sand. As Tremor began to rise, Liun pounced on his back and sank his teeth into Tremor's neck. Tremor bellowed and spun around in circles, trying to throw his opponent off. Liun dug his long claws into Tremor's flesh, drawing as much blood as he could to slow the dragon down.

At last, Tremor had had enough. He leaned down and shook himself like a dog. Liun hung on as long as he could but began to lose his grip on the young dragon. With one last thrust, Tremor shook loose the black dragon who tore off a massive chunk of his skin. Tremor gasped at the intense pain in his neck. The cold, salty air only added to the burning feeling.

Liun smiled almost evilly. "What's wrong guardian? Did I catch you off guard?"

"Yeah right. You know I let you just because I felt sorry for you." Tremor tried to form a smile but the pain was starting to get to him. Liun's temper flared none the less.

"Oh you've gone and pissed me off now." Liun snarled. But before he could go on the attack again, Tremor shot in and slammed the black dragon. Liun tumbled across the sand and looked up to see Tremor silhouetted by the two moons in the sky. Tremor roared and charged up an earth shot. Liun dug his paw deep and flung a large cloud of sand into Tremor's eyes. The earth guardian growled sharply, the tiny grains stinging his eyes. He dropped to the beach and rubbed at his eyes, but only succeeded in making it worse. Tremor forced his eyes to stay closed and began to use his earth powers.

Liun snickered and sprang into the air. Tremor slammed his foot into the sand, sending up condensed pillars of sand. Liun dodged the first three but the fourth clipped his wing sending him off balance. The fifth hit the mark, sending him flying high into the air. Liun spread his wings, catching his balance and hovered over the earth dragon below.

Tremor's muscles tensed for a spilt second. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled, calming his senses. He couldn't see or feel the black dragon anymore. He could hear the steady beating of his wings, but he was unable to get a fix on his position. Tremor fired and earth bullet and missed. Liun watched as the attack passed him several feet away. Tremor fired another and another. None of them coming close to the black dragon.

Liun smiled. "He can't tell where I am." He thought to himself. He gave his wings a hard flap and moved sideways. Tremor heard the noise and fired. Liun yelped and ducked out of the way just in time. "How'd you find me!" He demanded angrily. He was beginning to grow annoyed with the earth dragon.

"I can hear your wings beat moron!" Tremor turned in his general direction. "Each time you move in the air you beat your wings harder and that gives you away!"

"Oh really?" Liun sneered. "How about now?" He moved again and Tremor fired another bullet. He missed but only slightly. Liun moved again and once again Tremor fired. The more the black dragon moved the more precise Tremor's aim was getting. At last Liun cartwheeled over Tremor's head, dodging another attack in the process. He paused and beat his wings hard, turning himself upright. Much to his surprise, the earth dragon didn't attack. Liun moved to the side and Tremor fired. Liun feinted back to his right and Tremor stopped.

Liun looked over his shoulder to see his back to the cliffs where the cave was. A wicked smile spread across his mouth as he came to realize the situation. Black flames began to lick at Liun's lips. With a loud roar he spewed a raging fireball.

"Shit!" Tremor cursed and dove to the side. The impact sent him flying and sand stung his wounds. The earth dragon rolled to his feet and listened above. Liun beat his wings hard and Tremor was about to fire when he realized Liun had put himself in front of the cliffs again. "Damn it!" He rolled away again as another fireball hit the beach.

Off to the side, Candice watched in deep anxiety. When Liun had thrown sand in Tremor's face she had almost immediately jumped into the fight herself. Now that Tremor was completely on the defensive, her anxiousness was beginning to get to her. As Tremor dodged another fireball, she took a step forward. Flame crossed a wing in front of her. The ice dragoness looked at him, almost ready to cross him to get to the struggling earth dragon.

"Not yet." Flame shook his head. Candice pressed her lips tightly together. She wanted to go out and help but she trusted Flame's judgement. Her attention was grabbed when Tremor howled in pain. She turned back to see the earth dragon thrown into the air from the force of an explosion.

Liun dove in and struck Tremor in midair. He turned back fast and struck him twice more before slamming him down into the cold, wet sand at the shore's edge. The sand was hard and Tremor felt the wind rush out of him. As he gasped for breath a wave rose up from behind him and washed over him.

"Tremor!" Candice screamed and pushed past Flame's wing.

"Wait!" The fire breather called.

"How can you continually tell me to wait when Tremor's getting his tail kicked! I have to help him!"

"No, Tremor isn't even close to being beaten." Flame looked her in the eye and his blazed bright to show his seriousness. "He'll be fine."

"But..."

"Candice, do you trust me?"

"Of course..."

"And I know you hate Tremor, but do you trust him? Do you believe in him?"

"I..." Candice stood stiff. "I don't hate Tremor...It's not that I like him...I..."

"Do you trust him?" Flame took a forceful step towards her.

"I..." Candice hung her head. "I don't know."

Flame sighed and draped a wing around her shoulders. "Just watch." He said. Candice looked up at him. He sounded so mature, and wise. Almost as if he had been a guardian for as long as the elders. Deep down she pondered if Tremor would ever be like that in his future.

"Maybe..." She thought to herself. "Perhaps maybe...I do."

The icy cold salt water stung Tremor's wounds even more than the burning sand did. He opened his mouth to cry out and ended up with a mouth full of ocean. When the water rushed back, Tremor wretched the salty contents of his stomach.

Liun laughed as he watched Tremor cough and sputter. Another wave hit Tremor, nearly knocking him down again. The earth dragon squinted through burning eyes at the black dragon. The pain caused Tremor to shut his eyes again.

"I guess you lose." Liun called mockingly. "I guess you should have listened to me before guardian."

"I'm still standing, and I'm not dead yet." Tremor's cocky smirk spread across his mouth again. "So don't call it quits before one of us is dead." Off to the side, Candice felt her heart nearly stop.

"Then I won't disappoint you!" Liun roared and dove at Tremor. He fired a beam of black fire at Tremor. The earth dragon's green aura suddenly surrounded him. The energy focused into Tremor's arm and he raised his paw and struck the beam head on. Liun's eyes grew wide as the earth dragon pushed though his attack. Just before he hit Tremor, the earth dragon broke from the attack and struck Liun in the neck before pinning him into the sand.

The black dragon gagged and coughed and another wave engulfed the two dragons. Liun forced his head above the break, choking on air and salt water. He opened his eyes and stared in shock at Tremor. He was about to speak when Tremor brought his nose down to his. Tremor's eyes were still closed but it didn't make him look any less threatening. A low roar resonated in his chest.

"This fight is over." He growled. "I can take others calling me a weakling, or a failure or an idiot. I can even deal with others wishing I were dead." Candice felt a knife stab her in the heart. "But I will not tolerate others trying to harm my friends, or insulting someone I care about. Candice is a billion times the dragon you could ever be; even if she's a know-it-all kiss ass. I may be exhausted, but if you cross me I promise, there will be no end to my power which you will face."

Tremor stepped off of Liun and spread his wings wide, sending droplets flying and glistening in the moonlight. "I spared you this time out of respect for Stella since she liked you. Now get out of my sight and don't ever let me catch you around my friends, ever again." The roar began to grow louder and Liun felt a genuine fear grip his heart. "Or I vow that next time I won't be as forgiving."

Liun shook himself, getting more water on Tremor as a last act of defiance. He spread his wings and took off as fast as he could fly. He cursed to himself as he looked back over his shoulder at the earth dragon who stood proudly, letting the surf wash around him as if nothing could faze him.

"You'll pay for this." He hissed and disappeared into the night.


	33. Chapter 32

Tremor waited until he was certain the black dragon was gone. He sneezed from the chill and shook himself. The wet sand clung to his scales and it made him feel uncomfortable. He backed up into slightly deeper water and let the waves wash over his body. The wounds he had received burned and his side felt like it was on fire. He ducked his head beneath the surface and let the water clear most of the sand from his face. When he broke the surface he heard a voice call his name. The sound of the crashing waves made it hard for him to hear the voice.

Candice bounded up to him and splashed through the shallow waves until she was close enough to see Tremor clearly in the moonlight.

"Tremor, are you alright?" She leaned in close to look over his wounds. "Dear ancestors! You're a mess!" Tremor had cuts and gashes on his face, shoulders, arms, legs and back. The exceptionally large wounds were the slash marks across his left cheek and across his forehead. The torn skin on his neck was already turning sickly yellow-green and pus was starting to form over it. The lightning burn in his chest didn't hurt as much as his right side. Tremor's paw was relatively unscathed but his entire arm from his wrist to his shoulder and down his right side had been charred black. The pain was incredible and Tremor did his best to hide it as the waves brushed against them.

"Meh. I've felt worse pain." He shrugged and was about to walk around her when Candice stopped him.

"Hold on!" She ordered. "Let's try and get that sand out of your eyes first."

"It's alright Candy." Tremor tried to move around her again.

"No it's not, now sit still or I'll kill you myself!"

"Ugh! Fine!" Tremor sighed irritatedly. Candice stood on her hind legs and placed her paws on Tremor's cheeks, paying special mind to his cuts. She froze them over to keep infection out and allow her to continue with her work. She gently coaxed Tremor's eyes open. They were red and bloodshot from the stinging sand and lack of sleep. The ice guardian opened her mouth and breathed softly into Tremor's face. The vapor cooled the burning in his eyes and he began to relax.

Back at the cave entrance, Flame and Stella watched the two dragons in the surf together. Flame noticed the way Stella looked at them and bumped her side.

"Hey. Are you alright?"

"I don't know." Stella sighed. She suddenly felt drained; physically and emotionally. "I need to think for a little while." She turned and headed up the beach towards the forest.

Candice exhaled for almost five minutes before taking in another breath. Tremor's eyes were wet from the melted ice particles, allowing his eyes to clean themselves of sand and salt. Candice stopped when the earth dragon finally blinked.

"How's that? Feel better?"

Tremor blinked the excess water from his eyes. They felt refreshed and he almost forgot about the pain that coursed through his body. "A lot better." His vision cleared and he was able to see the ice dragoness clearly. The waves seemed to have settled down as they washed against her sides, causing the water droplets to shine like diamonds in the moonlight. Tremor felt his heart skip a beat. She seemed almost magical, the way the light reflected off her scales and her eyes looked as if they were glowing themselves. "She really is beautiful." Tremor thought to himself as he began to lose himself in her stare. Then he had a sudden flash: Her reaction when he had confronted her with his feelings. Tremor's heart sank and he looked away sadly. "You know, you didn't have to." He said.

Candice only giggled slightly. Her cheeks flushed but Tremor was unable to tell in the darkness. "I suppose not. But it's the least I could do. I mean, you didn't need to jump into a fight with Liun to defend my honor. I could have easily handled him myself."

"Of course I did." Tremor muttered. He looked back to her. "I won't let anyone say that you're anything less than the fantastic dragoness that you are. You've dealt with the guardian's training, the wolves, and even more you've dealt with me. To say that you're anything less than amazing I view as a personal insult."

"Tremor." Candice felt her heart begin to race again. The feeling she had felt when she had kissed Tremor was beginning to swell up inside her again. "He...He really...really likes me after all." She stammered to herself. "Maybe..." She let her mind drift into a fantasy. She and Tremor stared deep into each other's eyes. Feeling bolder, she slowly began to lean in closer to Tremor's face. The earth dragon took the hint and began to move closer to her until his chest was just barely touching hers. Candice leaned in and rubbed her snout against Tremor's. He growled softly, content with the contact. Candice took a deep breath and pressed her lips to his. The two dragons stood together in the moonlight, the ocean rippling around them, in a loving embrace that Candice would have been happy to enjoy the rest of her life.

While Candice stared at Tremor in her little daydream, the earth dragon's eyes caught sight of some movement behind her. He broke his gaze and spotted Stella disappear into the trees. She hung her head and her wings drooped sadly and Tremor instantly felt sorry for her. He gave Candice one last glance before moving out of the surf.

"Hey, where are you going?" Candice asked in surprise as she snapped out of her fantasy.

"I think I should go." Tremor sighed sadly. "I think I should go apologize to Stella. Especially after I kicked her boyfriend's..." He shook his head and corrected himself. "Ex-boyfriend's tail. I just want to make sure she's okay." He hobbled up the beach with Candice following him closely.

"But you're hurt!" Candice protested. "You need to rest! Stella will be fine. You can ask her later."

"I'm going to make sure she's okay now." Tremor turned to her and gave her a stern look. "I know you don't like me the way I..."His voice trailed off. "I know she's just a friend and a fellow guardian, but I care about all of you. And I don't want to wait and risk losing another friend." He looked back towards the trees and spread his wings. With a limp leap he got himself airborne and flew off leaving Candice behind, wet and alone.

The ice guardian felt numb and her body was trembling. When Tremor had disappeared over the treetops she finally got herself composed. Her talons dug into the sand and a furious snarl ripped from her jaws.

"I was trying to help you! Ass hole!" She shouted. Flame had been watching by the cave entrance and even he shrank back at the guardian's display of power. Candice whirled around in a flurry of snow, ice, sand and sleet. She opened her jaws wide and unleashed a beam of ice energy. The waves stopped where they were, frozen for over a quarter of a mile. The fire breather gulped loudly and slunk back into the cave.

"What's going on out there?" Ember asked. She had her paws hovering over Spyro who lay, half-conscious on the floor. Sparx hovered at his brother's side relieved that the were both still alive, but not at the price.

"Eh, I have no idea." Flame shook his head. "Long story short, I guess, Liun is gone. Stella needs some alone time. Tremor has pissed off Candice again. By what means? I have no idea."

Ember sighed sadly and shook her head. "I hope this doesn't mean the end of everything."

"Me too Ember." Flame nodded and sat down next to Spyro. "Me too."

Tremor glided over the treetops. The wind felt even colder than the ocean. He had found no sign of Stella. After some time the trees disappeared and he came to the vast grassland where he had been hunting earlier.

He spotted Stella about halfway out across the plain, sitting beside an apple tree staring up at the starry sky. Tremor descended towards her and came to a clumsy landing a few yards away from her. The sudden noise of his arrival caused her to jump in surprise.

"Tremor? What are you dong here?" She got up and rushed over to him as Tremor picked himself up off the ground.

"I saw you disappear and wanted to make sure you were okay." He groaned and winced as he set pressure onto his burned leg.

"I'm fine." Stella assured him. "You really shouldn't have come here in your condition though."

Tremor gave a half-hearted laugh. "Clearly Candice hasn't told you how stubborn I can really be."

Stella raised a brow thoughtfully. "I guess not. But even still."

"I just felt I should apologize now for...well...you know." He turned away slightly afraid of catching her eyes.

Stella sighed and smiled softly. "You don't need to apologize. Liun was out of line. I know I wouldn't have had the nerve to do what you did."

"You mean you're not mad?"

"No, not really. Not at you anyways." Stella shook her head. "I'm sure everyone else would have just stood there getting mad at each other."

"Well, I'm sorry to say it, but that jerk had it coming."

Stella just shook her head. "I think it was really sweet of you."

"Huh?" Tremor cocked his head, confused. "What do you mean? You thought it was cute that I kicked your ex's butt across the beach?"

Stella only giggled. Candice had told her about her conversation with Tremor and how he pointed out Gaia's ability to make everyone smile. Apparently Tremor had acquired the same gift. "No silly." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I think it was sweet of you to jump in and defend Candice."

"Hm." Tremor's smile faded.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Tremor sighed. "I'm just tired."

"You know I can tell when you're lying right?" Candice narrowed her eyes at him. For a moment Tremor felt afraid that she knew about him and Candice. "Did something happen between you two?" Stella's expression switched from inquisitive to concern.

"What do you mean?" Tremor took a cautious step backwards. His heart began to race in his chest; it hurt.

"You two, mainly Candice from what I've observed, have been acting strangely ever since Dante's Freezer."

"Uh..." Tremor's mouth suddenly felt dry. He felt as if the lightning dragoness was staring right into him.

"Are you two okay? Neither of you seem like yourselves lately."

Tremor paused as he thought that through. The dragoness had always been very observant and this time was no different. There wouldn't be any use in lying to her.

"We're about as okay as the two of us can be." Tremor's smile increased by a fraction of an inch. "We haven't killed each other yet and we're both alive and well."

"Sorry, Tremor." Stella gave a half snort, half chuckle. "You can't tell me you're doing well when you look like that."

"Within reason." Tremor rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright." Stella settled down to try and keep from aggravating the wounded earth guardian. "In any case we should get you back to the others so Ember can heal you up."

"I was thinking of just staying out here tonight." Tremor shook his head. "Ember already has her work cut out for her with Spyro again. I don't want her to worry about fixing me up when she'll probably be exhausted from healing Spyro."

Stella sighed and smiled warmly at him. "You're so cute Tremor."

"Huh? What? Why?" Tremor jolted from the suddenness of her words. She had never spoken to him like that before.

"Because you're always putting your friends first. I think it's cute that you're concerned for them so much." She stopped giggling breathed deep. She suddenly felt much better. "You really are a sweet dragon Tremor."

The earth dragon's temperature and heart rate skyrocketed as Stella moved closer to him so her chest was nearly touching his. Stella leaned in and gave him a loving kiss on the cheek, being careful of his horns and cuts.

"Stella..." Tremor gasped as she pulled away. He reached up and felt his cheek tingle.

"Don't worry." Stella giggled. "I'm not into you like that. I couldn't do that to Candice. It wouldn't be fair to either of you."

Tremor seemed to settle down at that. He sighed and watched as Stella walked past him and stopped a few feet away from him. Tremor noticed the way her hips and shoulders swayed gracefully with her tail. As the lightning dragoness stared up at the stars Tremor envisioned Candice standing where she was, her icy blue scales glimmering against the night.

"Stella?" He called softly. His cheeks began to burn from thinking about what he wanted to ask.

"Yes?" The dragoness turned with a smile on her lips. She was completely at ease with him around.

"Do...do you...um..." Tremor's claws flexed and relaxed anxiously. "Do...do you think...that...maybe...well...possibly...you know..."

Stella just rolled her eyes and giggled. "Tremor, just spit it out already before I die of old age."

Tremor took a deep breath. "Do you think that I'm worthy?"

"Worthy?" Stella peered at him sideways. "Worthy of what? Being a guardian? Because that's just s silly question to ask. Our elders wouldn't have chosen you if, or any of us, if we didn't possess special traits essential to be declared protectors of this world."

"No, I know that. But.. I mean... worthy as a dragon." His cheeks were deeply flushed. "Do you think I'd make a good mate at all?"

Stella was a bit surprised by his question and she fell silent for a moment. She hadn't expected him to ask for such an answer from her; ever. Stella stared at him and thoughtfully as she pondered the answer. The word 'mate' didn't pass around the group in casual conversations or even in private. Meanwhile, Tremor stood stiff, waiting for his answer.

At last Stella bobbed her head and smiled. "I think any dragoness would be lucky to have you." She gave him a wink. "Despite you're habits and shortcomings."

"Oh..." Tremor wasn't sure how to take the last half of that comment.

"But you know what..." Candice continued as she started to turn away. "I think even Candice would be happy with you too." Tremor gave a subtle jump at this. Stella continued to smile up at the stars. "I always thought it was cute when you and her argued with each other over the littlest things." She looked back at him again. "I know it contradicts what you both said before, but it's my strong belief that you two would make an outstanding couple. Probably as much as Spyro and Cynder."

Tremor's heart was doing backflips inside his chest. Was the dragoness really that serious? Stella's eyes seemed to be able to read into him like an open book. Did she know something that he didn't? Did Candice really feel the same about him? Even in the slightest? He had to find out.

"How would you know? How do you even know if I have feelings for her or not?"

Stella just gave him a flirty know-it-all look. "Come on Tremor. Why else would you pay her so much attention?" Tremor stood still with his mouth slightly hung open. He honestly had no good argument against her. Seeing that she had won, Stella smiled and opened her wings, letting the breeze fill her leathery membranes. "Don't be out too long. You don't want Candice to worry now do you?"

"No, I suppose not." Tremor smiled softly. Stella nodded and jumped into the air. She hovered in place, staring back down at Tremor. She was about to turn back towards the beach when Tremor spoke again. "Hey Stella?" The dragoness looked back at him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The dragoness's eyes seemed to glow like golden orbs in the moonlight. "Just don't let me down." With that she turned and flew back towards the beach.

Tremor just sighed. Somehow he felt lighter; fresher. "No pressure, right?"


	34. Chapter 33

Stella was glad to return to the cave back at the beach. The warmth was intoxicating against the chill of the salty ocean air. When she entered the shelter, Spyro was sound asleep with Sparx snoozing on his foreleg. Flame was at the back of the cave, curled around an exhausted Ember. He stroked his dragoness along her neck, dabbing her with gentle kisses. The fire dragoness smiled peacefully in her sleep. Candice lay off to the side, facing the wall with her back to the fire. Stella guessed that she wasn't too happy with Tremor running off in his condition judging by the frozen ocean outside.

"How's everyone doing?" The lightning dragoness asked softly.

"As well as could be expected." Flame shrugged. "Spyro's wound is healed, but Ember is spent. They'll both need a couple days to recover at least."

"At least we have a sheltered place to stay." Stella sighed and sat down by the two fire breathers in front of the fire.

"It does make things a lot easier on us." Flame nodded. "We should use the time we have to begin planning on what to do about Cynder. When Spyro gets up, I have no doubt he's going to want to go after her right away. So we'll need a plan to find out where she's being held captive."

"Good idea." Stella nodded. Their conversation was interrupted by Spyro's subconscious mumbling.

"Cynder...Cynder..." He whimpered and shifted in his sleep.

Stella sighed sadly. She nodded to Flame and moved over next to Spyro and curled up alongside him. The lightning dragoness draped a comforting wing over him and Sparx before drifting off to sleep.

Tremor sighed as he lay down in the long grass beneath the apple tree. He was completely spent. He felt a chill run down his spine as the wind blew across the field. Tremor began to glow and the aura spread out from his body. The entire field began to glow, casting a calming green aura across the sky and forest. The blades of grass whistled in the wind and Tremor began to close his eyes. The tall foliage and tree branches seemed to bend towards him, letting their energy flow into him. Tremor felt the spiritual energy of the earth flow through his body, giving him new strength. His wounds began to heal as the blades of grass touched his body ever so delicately. As his body continued to heal itself, the aura began to fade away. By the time it was fully dark again, Tremor had fully recovered. But instead of heading back to the cave, he stayed in the field. The earth dragon sighed deeply as he started drifting off to sleep. It was peaceful out here. His only wish was that the ice dragoness was there with him.

Liun staggered onto the castle grounds. He was extremely sore from his fight with Tremor; more than he had expected or realized. He trudged up to the stairs and collapsed at the bottom of the flight. As he did, dark magic swarmed around him. Malefor leered down at the young black dragon.

"What are you laying down for? Get up!"

"I'm sorry Master." Liun wheezed. "I didn't expect to be beaten this badly. I didn't expect to be beaten at all."

"I, for one, am disappointed." Malefor growled. "You now possess my power and you still lost to the guardian of earth; with a handicap!"

"I have no excuses Master." Liun hung his head in shame. "I only wish that the other guardians were not around so I may have been able to use the full extent of your powers to beat him."

"Hmmm..." Malefor narrowed his eyes at the black dragon. "I agree that the situation was not ideal." He gave an irritated huff and the black flames pulsed in unison.

"I was hoping to break up their union in hopes that they would part and taking them down would be easier."

"Indeed." Malefor nodded. "I felt your intentions when you decided to open your mouth and get yourself expelled from the group."

"I'm sorry Master." Liun raised his head with a bit of difficulty. "I failed in my duty as your insider to the guardian's plans."

"If you were one of those wretched wolves, I'd dispose of you here and now." Liun's heart began to race as he saw the thoughts passing through the Dark Master's eyes. "However, you've done a good job up until now. So I will spare you on the account that you're a dragon as well as a loyal servant." The dark flames leaned in closer and Malefor's eyes glowed purple. "Don't forget that."

"I will not." Liun nodded loyally and his eyes flashed purple. Malefor's presence faded away and was absorbed into the black dragon's body.

Just then a pair of wolves entered the main chamber of the castle. They saw the black dragon on the floor and crept over to him. Liun looked up as they stared down at him curiously.

"Take me to my throne." Malefor growled, surprising the wolves. The canines looked at each other then the leader picked him up in his muscular arms. The wolves carried the wounded dragon to the tallest towers of the castle to the throne room where they set Liun down upon an old, somewhat dusty throne. Liun curled up and was about to drift off to rest when he cringed at one of his irritated wounds.

"Wait!" He called to the lead wolf before they could leave. He beckoned him to return to him. The wolf walked over to the black dragon and knelt down until he was eye level with him. Liun's eyes began to glow purple and dark magic filled the room. The wolf yelped in surprise and stepped back. The black flames surrounded him and spread throughout the entire castle. The wolves all howled as they began to feel a new power rush through them. High above the castle, the dark clouds began to thin out, allowing the moonlight to shine through. The light struck the wolf through an open window and it fell to its knees. The beast howled as it began to grow larger and larger. It's mane stood on end and his fur grew longer. The wolf's long fangs extended from its upper and lower jaws, forcing his muzzle into a terrifying snarl. The claws grew longer and sharper. The beast's muscles increased in size, turning the canine into a monstrous hulk.

The clouds thickened and the moonlight was blotted out once again. The dark flames withdrew into their host and Liun smiled, pleased with his work. The massive wolf breathed heavily, leaving globs of slobber on the floor. "Now, go on and exact my revenge." He ordered. The wolf turned its head to the sky. A thunderous roar burst from his throat and echoed throughout the castle halls.

Spyro woke up a couple days later. He let his eyes sweep around the cave at the other dragons. Flame and Ember were entangled lovingly together as usual. Candice was in the corner by herself and Tremor was on the opposite side of the cave from her.

Sparx rested on Spyro's foreleg and Spyro nudged him awake. The dragonfly yawned and looked at his brother who motioned for him to be quiet. Sparx nodded and groggily fluttered into the air. Spyro got to his feet, letting his stiff joints pop as he stretched out. It was then he heard a soft moan next to him . His head jerked down to see Stella sleeping beside him. She had placed her wing over him during the night and he had just moved out from under it. The lightning dragoness murmured in her sleep as Spyro moved away from her. The purple dragon smiled to himself. She had always been a very kind and nurturing friend. He hated to leave her in such a manner, but he only had two things on his mind: finding Cynder and defeating Malefor once and for all. As Spyro walked to the cave entrance, Stella's eyes opened.

Outside, the sun was already coming up. The rays felt warm against his scales and he sighed. The feeling was enjoyable if only able to last for a minute. He shook himself and rolled his shoulders, working the kink out of them. He was about to take off when he heard a voice behind him. Spyro turned to see Stella coming towards him and cursed himself for waking her.

"Stella..." Spyro stammered, feeling awkward at having been caught in the act of trying to slip away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I was...um...just stretching out..."

"Save it Spyro." The lightning dragoness gave a disappointed look. "I don't know why you all feel the need to lie to me. I can always tell with you guys." Spyro immediately felt bad. "I know you want to go after Cynder, there's no doubt in my mind that you're worried about her."

"He really is that easy to read isn't he?" Sparx laughed. Spyro gave his brother an annoyed look.

"We've been coming up with a plan to get Cynder back for the past couple of days." Stella continued. "You should stay and hear what we've come up with. We could really use your input since you have the most experience dealing with the Dark Master."

"I'm sorry." Spyro shook his head. "I can't risk you guys for a fight that Cynder and I should have finished before."

"You didn't know it was going to be like this." Stella protested. "You can't blame yourself."

"I'm not blaming myself." Spyro thrust his chest out. "I'm taking responsibility for a problem that is mine."

"But you don't have to do it alone Spyro."

"You're right. But if anything happened to any of you, I'd never forgive myself."

Stella felt hurt. She hung her head sadly and Spyro sighed to himself. He walked over and lifted her head to his.

"It's not you." He explained. "This is just something I need to do for myself."

Stella pressed her lips tightly together and sighed. She knew Tremor was stubborn but she had never expected that streak to run in Spyro. "I still don't understand." She shook her head. "But I trust you Spyro."

"Thank you Stella."

"Just promise me one thing." Stella looked him up and down in the early morning sunlight. He seemed almost majestic with the sun radiating off his scales. Upon closer analysis, she also noted how faded his purple scales seemed. "Promise me you'll be careful. And bring Cynder back safely."

"I promise."

"Alright then." Stella nodded with a smile and a feeling of ease. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Go get her."

Spyro blushed, surprised by the gesture. " I will." He nodded determinedly. He turned with Sparx and took off into the air.

"Good luck you guys!" Stella called after them as the two disappeared over the horizon.

Meanwhile, miles away from civilization, Snarl lumbered through his pack's cave that their village resided within. The entrance to the cave was too small for an adult dragon to enter but the inside was the equivalent of the eastern dragon city. Wolves scampered through the streets and across building tops. The structures in the middle to the massive cavern were where the females raised the cubs and fixed their clothing and food. The walls were littered with holes which were each family's home.

Snarl broke away from the other warriors of his pack and made his way to the dungeon. The prison had been installed at the back of the cave and was dug deep into the bottom of the floor. The Alpha descended the stairs to the central prison and nodded to the guards who stepped aside respectfully. Once inside, Snarl walked to the darkest, coldest cell he could find and flung Cynder into it. The dragoness awoke when she hit the floor. She tried to speak but her limbs and mouth were tied. Snarl spat on her and left her in the darkness.

Cynder watched as what little light there was left from the outside disappeared. She sighed and slumped to the damp floor. She shuddered from the chill and curled around herself as much as she could. Using her tail she cut free from the ropes that held her. The black dragoness gave her cell a quick sweep before curling up into the corner to try and retain some of her body heat.

"Well Ignitus." She thought to herself. "I'm here. Now what do I do?" She was only answered by silence.

"I can't believe Spyro!" Candice fumed as she paced around the cave. Stella had deliberately waited until all of the guardians had woken up to tell them what Spyro had done just hours before. None of them were particularly pleased.

"Look, I trust Spyro to be careful." Stella interrupted. "I suggest that we come up with a plan on our own and be quick about it."

"What are you thinking?" Flame asked calmly. He detected some sort of hidden agenda lurking in her tone.

"If we can find Cynder before Spyro, then we'll be able to find out where the Dark Master is hiding. We can meet up with Spyro and we can all take down the Dark Master as a team. As it should be."

"So why did you let him leave?" Candice demanded. "If we're supposed to fight together, then why let us split up to begin with?"

"Because it would have happened sooner or later." Stella replied calmly. "Holding Spyro back would have just caused tension and anxiety for everyone."

"That's true." Candice seemed to settle down at the explanation. "But even still, did he really have to go out alone?"

"He's not alone." Ember pointed out. "He has Sparx with him too."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Candice raised a brow.

"It should." Ember gave a slight bob of her head. She was still recovering from constantly healing Spyro and the others. Her recovery was taking longer than expected and Flame was insistent that they not act until she was back to one-hundred percent. "As loud and obnoxious as he can be at times, he's still a good voice of reason for Spyro. Those two will take care of each other."

"I suppose you're right." Candice sighed. "I just feel...uneasy about him going out on his own. I mean, he just barely recovered."

"I, for one, support Spyro in what he's doing." Tremor piped up. Candice noticed the tone of defiance in his voice and her temper immediately flared up out of habit. "If it were me and my dragoness was missing, I'd do the same thing. Hurt or not. I wouldn't care." Before Candice could say anything, he got up and left the cave.

The ice dragoness trembled furiously and unleashed a beam of ice. The energy streaked out of the cave and froze the ocean over again after having barely begun to thaw out. Tremor heard her angry scream over his shoulder but continued walking without so much as a glance behind him.

"Candice?" Stella walked up beside her friend. Candice was gasping for breath from the exertion. Flame and Ember stared at each other. This was the second display of the ice dragoness's rage within the week. Both were worried about her but feared the wrath they might face if they pressed her too hard. However, Stella knew what she was doing.

"Candice." Stella placed a paw on her shoulder. The ice dragoness had begun to tremble and looked up at her with tears in her eyes. Stella frowned. "Come on. Let's go for a walk. We need to talk."

"No...I-I'll be fine." Candice choked back her tears and wiped her cheeks with the back of her paw.

"No. Now." Stella ordered and locked her eyes with Candice's. The ice dragoness saw that her best friend was dead serious and that there was no way she would convince her otherwise. She just nodded and turned away from them and trudged outside.

"We'll be back soon." She said to Flame and Ember. "Keep the place warm alright?"

"Sure thing." Flame nodded and curled tighter around Ember.

Stella followed Candice outside then led her away from the cave in the opposite direction from Tremor.

Tremor sighed to himself as he walked across the field where he had found Stella two nights before. He couldn't get the ice dragoness off his mind. He had contemplated talking to her when he returned but when he saw the thick ice covering the ocean he knew he had best stay away for the time being. Now it seemed that the ice guardian was even more furious with him. The earth dragon began to wonder if he would ever get Candice to be pleased with him again.

Tremor was sitting beneath the apple tree, lost in his thoughts, completely oblivious to the world around him and the creature lurking nearby; watching him with evil yellow eyes.

The sea birds called out to the two dragons from overhead and drifted by on the cool sea breeze. The Stella and Candice walked for a good half hour before either of them spoke.

"What's been going on between you and Tremor, Candice?" Stella asked.

Candice paused for a long moment. She sighed heavily and hung her head. "I guess I can't hide it anymore." She admitted. "I do have something I need to tell you. Just... I needed someone to talk to."

"Go ahead." Stella coaxed gently. "I'm listening."

Candice turned her head back to the lightning dragoness. "You may want to sit down for this."


	35. Chapter 34

Tremor rolled to the side as the wolf slashed it him with it long claws. The canine had howled and attacked from out of nowhere.

"Son of a bi-" He ducked and the wolf slashed again. It's claws cut through the trunk of the apple tree as if it were air. The tree began to fall and Tremor spun, knocking his clubbed tail into it. The wolf grabbed the trunk with both hands just before it could crush him. Tremor's eyes grew wide as the beast lifted the tree high over his head. "Uh..." His voice trailed off as he was shrouded in the shadow of the branches.

The wolf swung the tree and Tremor beat his wings hard. He flew back just in time as the trees smashed into the ground. The wolf lifted the tree again and hurled it at the young dragon. Tremor fired an earth bullet and the trunk shattered with a ear-splitting crack. The wolf lunged through the shards of broken wood that seemed to hover in the air and lashed out at Tremor again. The dragon feinted to the side. He felt the wind as the claws passed by his chest.

The earth guardian jumped back and stared hard at his attacker. This wolf was different than the ones he had encountered before; including the mutant from Dante's Freezer. The wolf turned and smiled at him. It raised a claw and tapped himself on the chest.

"Huh?" Tremor cocked his head and raised a brow curiously. It was then he felt the burning in his chest. He looked down to see claw marks on his thick chest scales. They hadn't been broken but the skin beneath felt as if it were burning. Tremor looked back at the wolf. "I guess I should start taking you seriously." He muttered. The wolf snarled and charged.

"Wow!" Stella fell onto her haunches in the soft sand. "That's...just...Wow!"

"You see now?" Candice sighed as she sat down beside her and stared out at the frozen ocean. "Why I've been acting the way I have. Towards you guys? And Tremor?"

"It does make sense." Stella nodded dumbly. They sat for a moment in silence while Stella let the news Candice had given her soak in. At last she turned. "You kissed Tremor." She could hardly believe the news. It almost seemed like she was dreaming just hearing that the two had shared such an intimate moment.

"He kissed me first!" Candice exclaimed, tears ready to burst from her eyes again.

"And you kissed him back!" Stella pointed out just as energetically. "You can't deny that and mean it!"

"I know..." Candice whimpered and hung her head. "I've been so restless ever since."

"But why did you reject him? If you kissed him back, then that means you must have had some feelings for him. At least at the time."

"I don't know!" Candice shouted. She shook her head, trying to calm herself down. "I admit the kiss was enjoyable. Very enjoyable. I loved it... But...I...It...just...just..."

"Felt awkward because it was Tremor?"

"Yeah." Candice looked at her, surprised she understood her as well as she did.

"I can understand the awkwardness." Stella nodded thoughtfully. "I mean the way you two constantly banter back and forth would make the fact that he has feelings for you a bit awkward and strange. But I don't think that your history does either of you any justice in avoiding each other. You especially."

"What? Why?"

"Because you two will never be happy if you keep this up. You'll go about your lives mad at each other all the time and whatever friendship you had will be destroyed."

Tremor shrouded himself in stone and charged the wolf. The canine jumped to the side, avoiding the rolling ball of earth. The ball banked hard and came around for another pass. The wolf breathed a cloud of ice and froze over the ball.

"What the hell?" Tremor gasped in surprise. He pushed against the inside of the ball but he was frozen in place. He could hear the wolf approaching and he pushed harder against the frozen stone, but to no avail. The wolf drew its blade and brought it smashing through Tremor's ball. Tremor had nowhere to run. He pressed himself to one side as much as he could but the serrated edge caught his right shoulder, raking off a large chunk of skin.

Tremor didn't have time to mind the pain. The wolf swung his weapon again and Tremor ducked as the blade whistled over his head. As the wolf swung in again he stepped in closeout of the weapon's range. The wolf looked down in time to get hit in hit in the chest with an earth bullet. He gave a mild grunt as he went flying into the air. Tremor sprang up after him and charged up another attack. The wolf quickly responded and swung its weapon. Tremor gasped and covering himself in earth again. The blade connected with his barrier and he was sent crashing into the ground. The barrier broke on impact and Tremor felt the wind rush out of him.

The wolf landed on his feet and rushed in again. Tremor wheezed and coughed a small blast at the wolf's feet. A pillar of earth burst up from the ground, smashing the wolf in the jaw. The canine howled in pain as its head rocked back sharply. Tremor got to his feet, having gained enough time to catch his breath. He winced at his wounded shoulder. It was already beginning to bleed badly. Dirt was sticking to it and his blood had begun to stain the ground.

The wolf got up and shook his head. His lips was bleeding but showed no other sign of injury.

"Damn it!" Tremor groaned in irritation. "What kind of monster are you?"

The wolf sneered. He bent down on all fours, his mane bristled. Tremor ducked to the ground and raised a wall of earth as the wolf's hair turned to ice and fired. The shower of needle-like shards of ice punctured the barrier. Tremor peaked out and another volley was fired. The earth dragon ducked as the needles shot over head, chipping his protective cover away.

The wolf unleashed another blast of ice and froze the ground. Tremor gasped as he found his feet frozen in place. He turned back to his wall and looked up in horror at the towering wolf mutant. The beast smiled and raised his weapon. Tremor's eyes grew wide and he fired an earth missile at his feet, breaking the ice and his barrier. The earth dragon rolled in close to the wolf again, hoping to take out its legs. He swung his clubbed tail and the wolf leaped over him. He dragged is weapon through the earth as he flipped over the young dragon. Tremor felt a burning in his side and found the wolf had left him with a nasty gash up his side.

"I think I'm going to need some help." He groaned to himself. He fired a shower of earth bullets at the wolf who easily dodged them. That was all Tremor needed. He turned and flew towards the beach as fast as he could go. The wolf looked up and growled angrily before taking off after him at high speed.

"What do you mean our friendship will be destroyed?" Candice squeaked, a sudden tone of fear in her voice.

"Tremor cares for you Candice. He openly admitted it! And more than once! He's saved your life, and you saw his reaction when he thought you had died. If that doesn't get you to realize that he likes you, then I don't know what will. You're just being as stubborn as he is when it comes to admitting that you have feelings for him too."

"I...I do not!" Candice protested, her cheeks beginning to turn red.

"You're such a bad liar!" Stella snapped and Candice jerked back in surprise. "You spent time with Tremor on the wall of the eastern dragon city! More than once mind you, and alone! You volunteered to bring him his meals! You looked after him when he was recovering after the Dark Master attacked Warfang! I've seen you make eyes at him in the dining hall when he's not looking and him as well!"

"Well...I...uh..." The burning in Candice's cheeks spread throughout the rest of her face. She had no idea that Stella knew so much about her so-called 'outings' with Tremor; and she couldn't help but wonder how much everyone else knew.

Stella brought her nose right up to Candice's and stared her in the eye. "If you say that you aren't concerned or worried about Tremor's health and well-being in the slightest, then you are lying to everyone on this planet, especially yourself."

"Well I would hate to see his talent go to waste. We need an new earth guardian eventually. It's like I said before: A guardian's duty should supersede their own personal comfort."

"Oh cut the crap Candice!" Stella snarled and lightning bolts crackled around her body. "You're just making excuses now as to why you 'shouldn't' like Tremor. I know that you were just saying that and that you don't truly believe a single word of it!" Candice was silent. She couldn't talk her way out of this corner. "I know it seems impossible, but you do have feelings for Tremor. He can hardly believe that he has feelings for you too."

"He told you?"

"No. I guessed." Stella shook her head. "I got the hint from Tremor the other night after Liun ran away and he came to make sure I was okay. He didn't say anything specific. But I can sense he has emotions that run deep as far as you are concerned." Candice fell silent again. She stared at her talons buried in the sand and fidgeted them beneath the surface.

"Do you really believe that Tremor still cares for me?" Candice looked at Stella with tears poking at the edges of her eyes. "After they way I've been acting? After the way I've treated him?"

"If you're looking for proof that love conquers all, then look around you Candice. Look at Spyro and Cynder; former archenemies and head over heals for each other. Flame and Ember; rivals for the position of fire guardian and Ember was stuck on Spyro for a while too from what I hear."

"But that doesn't mean..."

"I heard Flame say this about when Ember finally noticed him as more than just a friend. He said : I guess miracles really do happen." Candice's eyes widened in surprise. Stella shook her head sadly. "Miracles don't happen every day Candice. And sometimes it's up to us, to make them happen rather than wait on some divine power to take action."

"I don't know." Candice sighed. "I mean...What if he doesn't want to take me after all? What if it was a spur of the moment type of thing? What if..."

"You're worrying too much." Stella interrupted. "Besides, you won't get the answers unless you go right to the source. Am I right?"

"I guess so." Candice nodded. "But how do I know that my feelings are real? And not just my imagination. What if I'm just kidding myself?"

"You're not!" Stella insisted. "And even if you are, you won't be at ease until you find out. Am I right?"

"I suppose so." Candice turned back to the frozen horizon. "I do care about Tremor." She said it for herself. "I...care...for Tremor." She still felt strange saying it. "I like Tremor... I really like...Tremor." She looked back at Stella. "I like him don't I?"

"Just like?" Stella raised a brow.

"How can it be love? I mean, we fight all the time, get on each others nerves and have said some of the most hurtful things to one another."

"No relationship is perfect. But the fact that you two pay that much attention to each other should tell you. What do little boys do to girls when their young and they like them? The hit them, am I right?" Candice smiled and held back a laugh. "Seriously. They do. But Tremor's obviously beyond that stage. So what's the next best thing to hitting a girl?"

"Driving me nuts apparently." Candice giggled.

"Exactly. And you don't exactly discourage it all that well either." Candice began to blush again and turned away from her best friend. Stella could see that she had gotten through to her from the way her eyes shimmered as they stared across the ice. The lightning dragoness smiled in content.

Another silence passed before Stella spoke again. "So..." She started, getting the ice dragoness to turn again. "You have got to tell me...What was it like kissing Tremor?"

"Oh..." Candice's cheeks turned bright red.

Tremor beat his wings as fast and hard as he could. He could hear the angry panting of the mutant wolf on the ground behind him. "Dear ancestors, this guy is fast!" He wheezed. "I have to get to the beach! Get the others to..." His thoughts drifted off.

"What am I doing?" He pondered to himself. "By bringing this guy back I'm endangering the others. Flame is strong enough as well as Stella and Candice." Up ahead, the trees began to sink down and he could see the vast ocean beyond. "But Ember hasn't fully recovered yet. She'd be vulnerable in fight like this. And if anything were to happen to her..." An image flashed of Candice lying dead on the ground. Tremor choked and shook his head violently. "No! I couldn't do that to Flame! I have to take care of this problem myself."

Just as he reached the beach, Tremor banked hard and took off back the way he came. The wolf saw him coming and leaped high to intercept. Tremor somersaulted and covered himself in green energy. He smashed into the wolf and knocked him to the ground. The wolf slammed into a tree, knocking it to the ground.

"Come on you flea-bitten sissy!" Tremor shouted. "Catch me if you can!" He took off again as the wolf got it its feet. The canine snarled angrily and took pursuit. Tremor flew out beyond the field and headed for the hills in the deeper forest.

Down below, the wolf was catching up. As Tremor began to climb and gain altitude the wolf made its move. With a mighty leap he was airborne. His shadow swept over Tremor. The earth dragon looked back over his shoulder as the wolf came down on top of him. He grabbed the young dragon and rode him all the way into the ground. The impact smashed several trees and left a large crater in the ground.

The wolf yanked Tremor's body out from under him and hurled him into a tree. The trunk splintered and Tremor was sent rolling across the hard ground. The wolf raised his weapon and brought it down hard on the ground. Tremor looked up as the wave of icy spikes burst up from the ground in front of him. He jumped and latched onto the side of a tree as the spikes burst through the ground he had been laying a split second earlier. Tremor fired an earth bullet and the wolf dodged. Tremor fired again and again, but the wolf was too fast for him.

"Damn it! Hold still!" Tremor spat. "Can't you see I'm trying to hit you?" He spotted the wolf and lunged for him. The wolf struck with his blade and Tremor fired another earth bullet. The weapon was knocked from the wolf's hand and stuck into the trunk of a tree. Tremor back-winged as the wolf landed on the ground. The beast glared at him with his yellow eyes blazing mad.

Tremor was breathing heavily. His entire body already ached. After a couple deep breaths he swallowed hard, regaining his composure and calming his mind. He would need to stay focused if he was going to survive this fight.

The wolf roared and lunged. Tremor dove out of the way and swung his tail. The wolf grabbed him and slammed him into another tree. Tremor beat his wings rapidly, sending the jagged chunks of wood into the wolf's face. The beast shielded himself and struck the young dragon across the face. Tremor tumbled to the ground and rolled onto his feet. Blood trickled from his cheek. Tremor fired as earth bullet that hit the ground beneath the wolf's feet as he dropped to the ground. The earth burst up and into the wolf's gut, sending him high above the tree tops.

Tremor slammed his paws into the ground, catapulting mounds of earth up at the wolf. He beat his wings again, propelling them faster. The wolf opened its mouth wide and breathed another cloud of ice. Tremor rolled away as the cloud descended upon the ground, freezing it. The wolf shattered the projectiles and showered the earth dragon with the shards. Tremor ducked out of the way just in time. The wolf fell back to the ground and landed on his feet. As Tremor got up he saw the wolf walk over to his weapon and yank it from the tree trunk.

Tremor was the first to move this time. He slammed an paw into the ground sending a wave of earth spikes shooting up from the ground. The wolf countered with his ice spikes and the forces clashed. The shock wave of energy sent both combatants tumbling backwards. Tremor recoiled onto his feet and fired an earth bullet into the cloud of dust and ice. At the same moment a shower of ice spikes burst from the mist. Tremor ducked but two managed to nick him still; one in the shoulder, the other in his side. He ignored the pain and slammed both feet down, sending a wave through the earth surrounding him. Trees rocked violently as the earth rose and fell like the ocean's surface. At last Tremor let out a roar and the entire area shook. The trees were wrenched from their roots as they spread out from around the earth dragon. The collecting masses of trunks smashed into the wolf, pinning him between more and more trunks. Tremor beat his wings once and the ground flattened, leaving nothing but a clear open area in the forest hills.

Tremor gasped heavily for several minutes. The pain was beginning to get to him. His chest heaved, causing the slash marks to burn even more. The two gashes on his left side had blood flowing in a steady stream and his wounded shoulder had been exposed nearly to the bone. With a cringe and groan, Tremor collapsed to the dirt on his bad shoulder. He struggled to get back on his feet but he couldn't feel anything except the burning that was spreading across his right side.

Just then there was a large crash and Tremor raised his eyes to the perimeter of tree trunks. An angry howl burst up from the woods surrounding him.

"Damn it!" Tremor grumbled. "I swear, cockroaches are easier to kill." With a muffled growl he hoisted him self up off the ground.

Several tree trunks fell to the ground. Then suddenly two of the fallen trees rocketed towards the young dragon. Tremor dodged each one easily. A third trunk was sent flying at him and he fired an earth bullet. The trunk shattered and the wolf lunged through the cloud of splinters. Tremor narrowly escaped the wolf's blade as the jagged tip jammed into the ground. The earth guardian sprang high into the air and the wolf followed through his surprise attack. He switched his grip on the handle and froze the ground surrounding the blade. With a mighty pull, he yanked the blade free from the ground, sending a shower of ice spikes into the air.

Tremor had no time to dodge the onslaught. He shielded his face as the spikes peppered his underbelly. He grunted in pain and tasted blood swelling up in his mouth. The wolf sprang up and threw a hard punch. The blow sent Tremor's world spinning out of control as he flew higher into the air before falling towards the hard ground. The wolf landed and instantly made another lunge for the dragon. Just before Tremor hit the ground he was grabbed by the tail and jerked back into the air. The wolf hurled him down with all his might and Tremor hit the ground with a loud cry. The earth split from the impact and a cloud of dust covered the area.

"Wow." Stella sighed dreamily. "That sounds amazing." She was blushing as she listened to Candice's story of her kiss with Tremor in greater detail.

"It was." Candice nodded, still embarrassed. "I still don't know what came over me."

"I'm surprised myself." Stella felt her warm cheeks. "I never thought of you as the type to delve into a kiss like that."

"That makes two of us." Candice nodded. "Did you and Liun ever..." Candice's voice trailed off.

"What?" Stella asked curiously.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring Liun into this." Candice turned away. "I'll just drop it."

"Oh no you don't!" Stella moved close to Candice and smiled devilishly. "I want to hear what you wanted to ask. This whole Tremor thing is juicy and I want every detail. So if you have something you need to ask me, then do so."

"Did you and Liun...ever kiss?"

"Of course."

"With tongue?"

"Yes."

Candice's cheeks flushed as her mind was flooded with visuals of the lightning dragoness and the black dragon embracing one another, closely, intimately. "What about...You know..."

"Know what?" Stella tilted her head curiously.

"Did you two...ever...you know...do it?"

"Mate?"

"Yes..."

Stella sighed. "I hate to admit it now...but yes. We did."

"What?" Candice wasn't expecting her best friend to give that answer.

"It was a couple of times. Once at the Eastern City and once more at Warfang."

"Wow..." Candice stared at Stella with eyes wide and jaw dropped. Stella blushed and turned her head away. She sighed deeply. The memory of Liun and his sudden change in personality left her confused and alone. But she would have to be strong. For her best friend, Spyro and the other guardians. She wouldn't let Liun's behavior interfere with he duties as a guardian.

It was then that the lightning dragoness caught a whiff of the air. Her eyes widened. "Uh oh." She muttered.

"What is it?" Candice looked out at the ocean then back to her friend.

"There's a storm coming! A big one!"

"Seriously? How can you tell?"

"The polarity in the air. It's changed." She looked Candice in the eye. "We need to get back tot he cave! And fast."

"R-right!" Candice nodded dumbly. Both dragons turned and flew back towards the cave. Out across the ocean, the clouds were quickly growing dark. As Candice watched the clouds approaching she felt an uneasy feeling deep in her heart.


	36. Chapter 35

The wolf waited patiently for the dust to clear. When his vision was clear, he walked over to the shallow crater in which Tremor lay in a crumbled heap. At first glance he thought the earth guardian was dead; but after a long moment, Tremor twitched. The young dragon cried and gritted his teeth against the pain. The earth guardian forced himself onto his back. The sudden movement made him cry out as the spikes embedded in his stomach shifted around inside him. Trembling, he reached up and gripped the first spike that protruded from his chest. It had punctured his chest wall, just below his left lung, but he was already having trouble breathing. After a couple deep breaths, Tremor pulled hard and fast. The sound of his agonized scream carried for miles.

The wolf watched with a child-like interest. Seeing the blood spurt from the wound made it's tail wag with anticipation for the next spike to be removed. The smell of warm dragon blood reached his nostrils and his ear and tail began to twitch anxiously.

Tremor threw the first spike away and rolled onto his side. He prayed that the pain would be less of a shock and yanked another spike from his chest, this one only a couple inches lower than the first. He let loose another scream before letting the spike fall from his blood-stained paws.

"Damn it!" He sobbed, tears in his eyes and blood trickling from his mouth. "I can't take any more of this!"

It was then he looked up to see his enemy standing over him with a toothy grin spread across his mouth. The wolf looked at Tremor's underbelly. There were still seven spikes extending upwards from the earth dragon's gut. The wolf growled softly as it pondered to itself. Tremor tried to get up but the wolf stopped him. Before the earth guardian could get away, the wolf stomped on his left wing.

Tremor hollered as he felt the bones break and reached over to grip his wing. This proved to be a mistake on Tremor's part, as the wolf smashed his other wing beneath his foot. As the earth dragon screamed in pain, the wolf bent down and gripped the spikes between his fingers. Then, without warning, he pulled them all out at once. The shock caused Tremor's body to jerk and convulse sharply, sending more waves of pain through his body. The earth dragon couldn't utter any other noise except for a nearly inaudible squeak.

As he lay there, gasping for air and fighting through the pain, Tremor watched as the wolf moved off of him and leaned down until their noses were nearly touching. Before Tremor could react, the wolf reached down and grabbed him by the throat. Tremor coughed and gasped for air as he felt his throat start to collapse under the pressure of his opponent's grip. The wolf glared at him before slamming him into the ground. Tremor coughed hard and a spout of blood burst from his mouth. The wolf released his grip and stared at the dragon. Tremor's eyes remained closed as he lay still.

Back at the beach, Stella and Candice pushed against the strong ocean winds. The sand blowing through the air had nearly rendered the dragon's blind, forcing them to land and return to the cave on foot.

"That storm sure came in fast!" Candice shouted over the wind.

"I know!" Stella called back. "We need to get the others away from the beach! It's going to be a hurricane!"

They continued running through the sand, using their wings as shields against the stinging sand. Another gust hit them and nearly knocked them over.

"How much farther?" Candice called.

"I don't know! I can't see anything in this sand!" Stella hollered back. The situation was growing worse by the minute. Both dragons had been careless not to notice how far they had drifted from their cave.

All at once Candice felt the temperature in the air drop. She looked to the side to see the waves were no longer crashing loudly onto the beach. The water was frozen over and the grains of sand were mixing with the flakes of snow.

"We're close!" She shouted and took off ahead of Stella. The lightning dragoness bounded after her, trying to keep the wind from catching her under her feet. At last Candice spotted the glow of a fire emanating from the cliffside ahead of them. The two of them raced as fast as they could towards it and dove inside.

"Geez!" Flame jumped in surprise. "Where did you two come from?"

"Bad...Storm..." Stella gasped.

"Yeah, we can tell." Ember nodded towards the front entrance. Stella and Candice moved closer to the warm fire. "It just came out of nowhere."

"Well, we need to get out of here." Stella ordered. "That's going to be a major hurricane! It'll bury this entire cave!"

"What!" Flame was immediately on his feet.

"We have to head deeper inland!" Stella pointed to the back of the cave. "There's plenty of forest we can use for shelter."

"I guess we don't have any other choice." Flame sighed and rolled his shoulders, allowing them to pop. "Let's get going." He leaned down to help Ember onto her feet.

Candice looked around the cave. "Where's Tremor?"

The fire breathers froze and looked at each other. "He hasn't come back yet." Ember answered shakily.

"What? It's been hours though!" Candice protested.

"Candice, calm down." Ember thrust her chest out, taking dominance of the situation. "We'll find him."

"We don't have the time." Stella shook her head. "Candice. You go look for Tremor further inland. If my guess is right, he's probably close to the spot where we talked a couple nights ago. It's a large field with a single apple tree in the middle. You might find him there."

"Uh, right!" Candice nodded.

"Flame, you take Ember and start heading more inland. I'm going to stay here for a minute and leave Tremor a note, just in case we miss him and he comes back here. I'll be right behind you two."

"Got it!" Flame and Ember nodded.

"Alright everyone! Let's move! We don't have much time!" The lighting dragoness roared. Flame and Ember followed Candice outside. The first gust of wind nearly yanked them into the air and tumbling down the beach. After the dragons got their bearings, they spread their wings and took to the air, beating their wings as fast and hard as they could.


	37. Chapter 36

The wolf licked the earth dragon's blood off his claws as he climbed out of the crater. The earth dragon hadn't so much as twitched a scale for a long time. He turned and looked back at the fallen guardian. Blood still flowed from his wounds and stained the earth. Overhead, the clouds seemed to sense the young dragon's demise as they grew darker and the wind started to pick up. The wolf turned his nose up to the sky and sniffed the air. A storm was coming. Little did he know how right he was.

The beast continued to walk away. He was looking over his damaged weapon when a breeze hit him and sent a chill down his spine. He turned around but saw no dragon. After the paranoia passed he turned back and headed towards the forest again.

"Tremor..." A warm voice called out from the darkness. "Tremor...get up."

The earth dragon's eyelids twitched for a moment, then snapped wide open. His eyes were glowing bright green, and the energy began to spread over his body.

The wolf had just reached the edge of the forest when another chill ran down his spine. His attention was grabbed by a deep blood curdling growl. The canine whirled around. A bright green energy was rising out of the crater. The light became more intense and the wolf's hair stood straight on end. Slowly, Tremor climbed the small embankment out of the crater. He glared at the wolf; his teeth bared, broken wings dragging at his side and bleeding chest thrust out.

The wolf began to tremble in fear. Tremor was covered in dirt, cuts, bruises and blood. "Where do you think you're going flea bag?" A deep growl rumbled in his throat. "I'm not done with you yet."

The wolf growled and bared his long fangs. He snarled and tightened his grip on his weapon. Suddenly a pillar of earth burst from the ground and smashed straight through the blade. The wolf looked down in surprise then back to the young guardian.

"Not this time buddy." Tremor shook a claw at him. "This time, it's just you and me!"

The wolf roared and charged Tremor. He swung his claws and Tremor ducked before head-butting him in the chest. The wolf felt his sternum crack as he hit the ground. Tremor swung his tail and sent a wall of spikes bursting up from the ground. The wolf barely rolled away in time. Tremor fired an earth bullet and the wolf dove under it. The shock waved tossed the wolf off its feet. The earth dragon smashed his two front paws deep into the earth and sent up massive spikes from under the wolf. At the last possible moment, the wolf twisted to the side ,letting one spike graze his side and another his hind leg.

"Damn you!" Tremor cursed. The wolf smiled at the dragon's irritation. He breathed a cloud of frost across the ground, freezing Tremor's paws that were still embedded in the earth. The guardian looked down in shock, then up in time as the wolf charged in again, delivering a crushing upper-cut to his lower jaw. Tremor's feet were torn free from the ice and he was sent spinning through the air.

The wolf jumped high and reached out with his elongated claws. Tremor spat an earth missile down at his attacker. The blast struck the wolf in the chest, full force, and sent him shooting back down into the ground. The earth guardian curled into a ball of earth and dropped back to the ground. He slammed down on top of the wolf as the canine attempted to rise. There was a squashed yelp as blood spurted from the beast's mouth. Tremor spun the ball of earth around on the wolf's back, letting the stone grind away at the beast's bones and skin. The monster howled in pain as his skin was torn away, layer by layer.

At last Tremor stopped his grinding attack. The ball remained still for a long time. The wolf opened an eye and struggled to move. Suddenly, spikes burst from the ball. The beast howled in pain and dropped to the ground.

Another minute passed before Tremor emerged from his protective shell. He trampled over the wolf and headed back for the beach. He was in bad shape and needed to find shelter to heal himself up. He looked to the sky as the dark clouds rolled over the horizon.

"Thanks Gaia." He wheezed. His thoughts were interrupted when a massive claw came down on top of his head. Tremor saw stars as his face was smashed into the ground. The next thing he knew he was lifted up by his head and facing the wolf straight in the eye. The mutant was badly bleeding. His muzzle was dripping with his own blood, his back and arms were bleeding from the torn flesh and his body was punctured completely through from the spikes.

"Wh-what? What...kind of...monster...are you?" Tremor coughed and spat more blood onto the wolf's face. The canine just smiled. He began to emanate, ice energy and Tremor felt his entire body go cold. He began to go into shock as hypothermia began to take over. He felt his mind detach from his body and his world began to spin. The earth dragon watched as the particles of ice formed into a frozen dagger in the wolf's open hand. The beast snarled and drew his arm back.

"Move!" Tremor screamed in his mind. "Damn body! Move!" As the wolf thrust the dagger into him, a familiar green aura burst from his body.

"Tremor!" Candice cried as she flew over the trees. "Tremor! Where are you!" She had been searching the groves of trees below for any sign of the earth dragon. "Damn it Tremor!" She cursed and frost jetted from her nostrils. "Why is it you're so hard to find whenever I need you?" She paused for a moment and hovered in the air. Her heart was beginning to beat fast. "I just said...that I needed him..." She shook her head. "Think about that later Candice. Just find him first." She flew on for several more minutes, calling out his name as she went.

The winds were picking up speed, making it harder for her to fight against the wind currents. Then the rain started to come down. It wasn't hard but the wind did little to help the ice guardian's vision.

At last she spotted an open area in the trees. She descended lower to the ground and came to a landing on the edge of the field. "Tremor? Are you there?" She called as she looked around. When there was no answer she thought to herself for a long moment. "I don't think this is the place." She pondered as she walked along. "Stella said there was an apple tree in the middle of the field. But I don't see any..." Her voice trailed off as she came to the stump of the aforementioned apple tree. She stared hard at the stump. Fresh sap was gathering on it. A little ways to her right was an impact mark in the grass where the tree had been slammed. Leaves and chunks of wood littered the area. Candice bend down and sniffed the earth. The wood smelled fresh. She raised her head and looked around cautiously. Something wasn't right here.

The ice dragoness continued studying the area. There were several more areas of the field that the grass had been torn up or flattened recently. Candice took to the air again and hovered over the field. The marks in the grass were scribbled all around the field as if whatever had made them was trying to hit something. It was then that Candice spotted a patch of ice in the middle of the field. The broken, frozen remains of Tremor's earth ball were recognizable along with the broken wall of earth. Candice landed again and scanned the ice. She caught sight of something and walked around the remains of Tremor's barrier. Down on the ground was a massive paw print. Candice's eyes grew wide in terror.

"Wolves." She hissed and gave the area a quick sweep. Nothing moved in the long grass. The ice guardian took to the air again and looked around, searching for a sign as to where the earth guardian had gone. "Tremor!" She shouted as loud as her lungs would let her.

A gust of wind blew and a chill ran down her spine. Off in the distance the forest seemed to be glowing. The dragoness realized that the energy was spreading throughout the entire forest. Another gust hit her, but this one was warmer. The leaves below rustled and a loud agonized roar reached the young dragoness. Candice froze as the shock hit her.

"Tremor!" She whispered, unable to move. He was in trouble. She didn't know how she knew, she just felt it. The ice dragoness began to glow with energy. She gave a piercing cry and took off towards the hills as fast as she could.

Tremor glared at the wolf, defiance filling his eyes. He gritted his teeth against the nearly unbearable pain. The dagger had just missed his heart by a couple of inches and was lodged in between his shoulder and ribcage. The wolf was a little astonished that the dragon had managed to squirm away from the fatal blow. Tremor's body began to shake and the dagger shattered. The energy that surrounded him spread forth and struck the wolf in the chest sending him flying back into the mess of fallen trees. Tremor collapsed to the ground, blood spattering across the wet dirt. The glowing green dragoness stood before Tremor with wings spread wide and teeth bared, ready to go on the attack.

The wolf looked at the dragoness in surprise that he had been knocked back so far. Gaia glared daggers at the beast. The ground began to shake violently as the twins power increased. Fissures split open all around the twins, threatening to swallow the entire forest if provoked.

The wolf got to his feet and gripped his chest in pain. The blow had cracked his chest wall, making it harder for him to breath and move freely. He lumbered towards the dragons, claws ready and anxious to tear into them.

Gaia hissed and leaves rustled in unison, allowing the menacing sound carry through the wind. The wolf stopped where he was. The rocks at his feet were jumping as the earth began to shake again. "Don't touch my brother." The dragoness growled angrily.

"G-Gaia..." Tremor wheezed as he struggled to lift his head. His spirit was more than willing to fight but his body couldn't take anymore.

"It's alright Tremor." His sister's gentle voice whispered in his head. "I'll handle this. You just rest."

"N-no..." Tremor continued to try and get up off the ground. "I...won't...let you...fight...alone...again...I...won't!" Gaia turned to her brother then back to the wolf who was beginning to get his nerve back.

"Alright Tremor." She nodded finally. "I'll give you the strength you need. We'll finish this together."

"Y-yeah..." Tremor nodded. Gaia stepped back and her spirit combined with Tremor's. The earth dragon suddenly felt a surge of power course through him. His body went numb and he stood completely upright.

The wolf howled and charged in. Tremor unleashed a roar and rushed towards his opponent. The two combatants lunged and clashed in midair. They felt to the ground in a rolling fit of teeth and claws. The wolf slashed at Tremor, leaving more bloody gashes on him. Tremor kicked and clawed at the wolf's face and body. The beast raised a fist and slammed it into the ground causing spikes to shoot up. Tremor leaped into the air and landed on the wolf's back. He clawed at the wolf's eyes and bit down on the beast's ear. The wolf bellowed and shook himself, trying to get the young dragon off of him. When Tremor refused to release his grip, the wolf reached up and grabbed the dragon by his hind leg. He pulled the joint from its socket and Tremor screamed. The wolf slammed him into the ground again and slashed with his long claws. Tremor felt the claws bury themselves deep into his chest. Without missing a beat, he curled around the wolf's hand and bit down hard. The wolf wailed and swung his arm around, trying to toss the dragon off.

At las the canine had just about enough. He raised his arm high to hurl Tremor into the ground. The earth guardian bit down harder and fired an earth missile. The attack instantly broke the bones in the beast's arm turning the limb to mush. Tremor dropped to the ground and the wolf stood in shock as he watched his arm go limp. The nerves had all been destroyed but that didn't keep the beast from squalling in rage. He turned to lash out only to get the dragon's club tail across his face. The wolf staggered and Tremor delivered another blow to the back of its head. The sound of breaking bone seemed to hang in the air for a brief moment. The wolf fell to the ground. Blood poured out of its nose, eyes and ears. It began to go into convulsions, twitching and writhing around on the ground like a fish out of water. Tremor trudged over to the squirming mutant and slammed a heavy paw down on the beast's neck, holding it firmly in place. The wolf continued to twitch beneath the earth guardian's paw. He looked up with a pitiful look in his eyes, as if begging for to be spared. Tremor sighed heavily. There was a hint of Gaia's presence in the gesture as he stepped off the beast's neck. There was no way this mutant would be coming after him or his friends any time soon, if at all.

The earth dragon walked away, leaving the wolf to the fates. The rain washed over him, cleaning the dirt from his deep wounds. The numbness was beginning to wear off and Tremor was finding it harder to move.

"Thanks...Sis..." He whispered.

"I told you I'd never leave you Tremor." His sister replied and he felt a warm tingle throughout his body.

"Still...thank you..." Tremor was beginning to feel dizzy. He looked up at the dark rain clouds. "Candice..."

Suddenly a dagger plunged straight into Tremor's back. The wolf pushed it deep into the dragon's warm flesh.

"Tremor!" Gaia screamed as her brother fell to the ground. The earth dragon's eyes were wide with shock. Gaia's cry carried over the wind and her aura swept of Tremor's body. The earth dragon sprang back up at the wolf, the spike still in his back. He slammed into the wolf's lower jaw. The beast didn't let so much as a grunt as the spike burst through his mouth and out the top of his head. Tremor landed and slammed his clubbed tail into the ground causing the earth to open up and swallow the wolf. He watched as the limp body fell into the darkness and slammed his tail down again to close the opening.

Candice heard the roar echo in the distance. She recognized it as Tremor's, but there was something different about it; yet familiar. She beat her wings and squinted through the falling rain.

"Dear ancestors! Please let him be alright." She shouted in her own mind.

Several minutes later she spotted an open area in the forest. All along the perimeter, trees lay dead on top of each other. The open area was mostly flat dirt with a few large craters around it. Candice landed in the middle of the largest one and looked around. Her eyes were wide in shock as she surveyed the surrounding area.

Lying on the ground beside her were nine large ice spikes, covered in blood. Dragon's blood from the way they smelled. A small blood stain in the mud led the dragoness up the steady incline, out of the crater. The rain was beginning to wash the blood away, forcing the dragoness to move quickly. She followed the trail several yards away where another mess of bloodstains were scattered about in the dirt. She looked for a sign or trail of where the bloodstains had moved to but found none.

"Damn!" She cursed and stomped a puddle, freezing it instantly beneath her paw. "Tremor, where are you?" She turned in a circle several times searching for blood trails, foot prints, anything that would let her know where he was.

"Candice." A voice called out to her. The ice dragoness whirled around, wings spread wide. She gasped at the dragoness before her.

"G-Gaia? I-Is that you?" She leaned forward to get a better look at the glowing figure of her friend.

The earth dragon nodded and smiled. "It's good to see you again. But you don't have much time. Follow me." She turned before Candice could utter a word. She led the ice guardian towards the trees that were knocked over in a large cluster. Gaia stopped at the edge of the clearing and stepped aside. Candice watched as she smiled sadly back at her before fading away.

Candice smiled to herself for a moment. It was sweet that even in death she still looked after her brother. It was then she turned her attention back to the task she originally had in mind.

The ice dragoness peered into the cluster of trees before entering slowly. The clustered tree trunks made a crudely built shelter from the rain. Despite the wind outside, the trees retained some of the warmth fairly well.

As she moved deeper in, the trees began to open up to fresh forest. What little light there was shone through the branches, scattering patches of light around the forest floor. It was then that Candice found him.

Tremor lay at the base of an old willow tree. The fallen tree trunks were still propped up against its massive trunk shielding him from the rain.

"Tremor!" Candice gasped and rushed over to him. She gave him one look and her heart nearly stopped. The earth dragon was covered in blood. His wounds were still bleeding slightly. A large,bloody ice dagger was jammed into his back unable to be removed by the dragon himself. "Oh my god! Tremor!" She leaned down close to him. Tremor's sides barely moved.

"H-hey..." He mumbled and managed to crack an eye open.

"Tremor!" Candice cried. She fell to the ground and held his head close to her. "You're alive." She had tears coming down her cheeks and plopping onto the dragon's face.

"Hey...W-why are you crying?" He looked up at the dragoness knowing full well what was wrong, but trying to play it off anyways.

"Why do you think you idiot!" Candice would have hit him if he weren't in such bad shape already. "Look at you! You're a mess! You look like you jumped into a feeding pit with a bunch of hatchlings."

Tremor chuckled only to cough up more blood. "I...think I'd look a lot better... coming out of the hatchling pit."

"I'm sorry." Candice shook her head. "I didn't mean to call you an idiot. You're not an idiot." Tremor raised a brow slightly. There was something in Candice's voice that made him feel a bit out of place. "But even still. Why didn't you come get the rest of us? We would have helped you."

"I know..." Tremor wheezed. "But... you always say... that... I never think things through... So this time I did. I know you, Flame and Stella could have helped... But Ember was recovering still. She would have been... vulnerable. And if anything had happened... to her or you..." Candice felt her heart begin to beat faster. "I...wouldn't be able...to live...with myself."

"Oh Tremor." Candice hung her head down and nuzzled him gently, trying not to case him too much more pain. "I swear, that I'll never know what to do with you."

Several ideas came to Tremor's mind but he refrained from saying anything. He was just too weak to try.

"You know..." Candice whispered softly, her voice tickling Tremor's cheek. "You can call me Candy...if you want..."

Tremor noticed the way her cheeks flushed and smiled gently. "You know... I only called you that...because I knew you hated it..."

"I know." Candice smiled softly and a couple tears splattered onto Tremor's cheeks. "But it's kind of grown on me." She looked back at him and their eyes locked. "And...and..." She felt the lump in her throat again as she struggled to release the words. Just as Candice opened her mouth to speak, Tremor coughed hard, spattering blood onto the trunk of the old willow. "Tremor!" Candice cried and rose to her feet in alarm.

"I'm sorry." Tremor gasped. His sides heaved as he took a deep breath. "I didn't mean for it to be like this."

"You don't need to worry." Candice scooped his head up in her paws and held him close. "We'll have you fixed up before you know it."

Tremor shook his head slightly. "Sorry Candy. I don't think I'm going to be around that long."

"What?" Candice jerked back, stunned by what he had just said. "No Tremor! You're not going to die! You're going to make it through!"

"I'm sorry..." Tremor's side heaved. "I'm just...too...tired."

Candice squeaked, trying to keep from crying. "What? No! You can't!" She protested.

"I'm so sorry." Tremor gave one final gasp and his eyes began to close. Candice watched helplessly as the light died in his eyes.

"Tremor wait!" The dragoness shook him gently to try and coax him awake. She couldn't let him leave without telling him. "Tremor? Tremor wake up!" The earth dragon's body began to fall limp in her arms. His sides sank and didn't rise again. Candice sat below the old willow in a state of shock. She gritted her teeth, trying desperately fight back the oncoming tears but to no avail. The waterworks started flowing uncontrollably. She was crying so loud she couldn't hear the steady beating of wings growing closer.

"Tremor!" Her scream carried through the trees and across the mountains for all the world to hear.


	38. Chapter 37

**Well I think you guys have waited long enough. I promised I'd post this chapter when I was finished with part 3 of this on my DeviantArt profile. So go check that out too. I have one poster up and another one will be here later this week. Enjoy. (Not like I need to say it)**

Candice wept uncontrollably over Tremor's body. "How could this be happening?" She screamed in her mind. "How could he die! Just when I finally got the courage to tell him! It's not fair!"

The dragoness was crying so loud she didn't notice the other guardians approaching through the trees. Stella, Flame and Ember had all seen the wave of Tremor's energy sweep through the forest as Candice did and hurried to investigate. When they had reached the battle ground they heard the ice guardian's scream. They rushed through the trees and found her leaning over the body of the earth guardian.

"Oh no." Stella gasped in horror as she figured out what was going on. The three of them stood for a moment in shock. Candice's sobs were the only noise they could hear over the wind and the rain. It took Ember a moment to get her bearings as tears began to fall from her eyes as well. She took a step towards the ice dragoness and Flame grabbed her tail.

Ember turned to the fire guardian with desperation in her eyes. She knew what he was worried about. "I think I can help." She whispered. "But there's not much time."

"But...Tremor is..."

"I know..." Ember choked and sniffled loudly. "But I have to try. I can't let it end this way. Not without a fight. It wouldn't be fair to Candice."

"Alright then." Flame nodded. "What can I do?"

"Can you get her out of here? I'll need some space and silence if there's any chance of helping."

Flame swallowed nervously as he approached Candice. He took a deep breath and a determined look spread across his face. "Candice." He placed a paw on her shoulder, grabbing her attention. The dragoness looked at him with wet, bloodshot eyes. She held Tremor's head close to her chest, afraid of letting him go.

"Come on. We need to go."

"W-what?" Candice's eyes widened.

"Come on." Flame jerked his head away from the willow. "You should..."

"No!" Candice protested loudly. "I'm not leaving this spot!"

"Candice."

"No! I won't! I won't leave him ever again! Do you hear me?"

"Candice." Ember came up and reached out to take a took hold of Tremor. "I need you to leave for now. Please."

Candice turned towards the fire dragoness. She couldn't believe she was taking Flame's side in this situation. How could she betray her like this?

Taking the cue from his dragoness, Flame quickly grabbed Candice allowing Ember to pull Tremor away from her.

"No!" Candice screamed as she realized what was going on. "No! Tremor!" She screamed as Flame did his best to push her towards the clearing beyond the trees. She wanted to fight but was too grief stricken to put up a decent brawl. "Tremor! Don't leave me! Tremor!" She struggled against Flame's muscular bulk but the fire guardian was determined to help his dragoness.

"Stella!" Ember called. "I need you to gather some fire wood as quickly as you can."

"Gotcha."

"Stella!" Candice cried desperately. "Stella, help me! Tremor!" The lightning dragoness could only hang her head sadly. She wanted to console her friend but now was not the time. Not while there was something to be done about the situation.

After a long, loud struggle, Flame managed to get Candice outside. Once she had enough room, Candice tried to get around the fire guardian. However, Flame was ready and tackled her to the ground before she could get away from him. Candice wailed and struggled beneath his weight.

"Tremor!" She sobbed. "Tremor why!"

"Candice." Flame tried to get her attention. When the ice dragoness didn't stop he was forced to get serious. "Candice!" He shouted and flames blew from his nostrils and clenched teeth. The sudden display caused the dragoness to stop crying for a moment and look up at him.

"Listen to me, please." Flame sighed. "Ember's trying to help you right now. But you're not making it easy on her or Tremor by going ballistic like this."

"Tremor..." Candice choked back another sob and snorted loudly. "He...He's..." She was beginning to hick-up hysterically.

"I know. I know." Flame said softly and nuzzled her comfortingly. "I'm not sure what Ember can really do for him at this point." He leaned back and stared her in the eye. "But I think we should at least give them both a chance. Don't you?" Candice just stared at him in silence with the occasional hick-up interrupting the silence between them. "I'm going to let you up now." Flame sighed. "I want you to promise me you'll keep your cool." Then he realized what he had just said and gave a slight smirk. "As much as you can considering you're the ice guardian."

Candice couldn't help but laugh letting a couple more sobs and hick-ups escape. It was definitely something Tremor would have said if he were there.

Flame stepped off of her and Candice got to her feet.

"I know it's tough watching someone you love die, before your eyes." Flame hung his head. "I almost lost Ember that way. But it was nothing short of a miracle that she's here with me today." He looked back at Candice who was listening in wide-eyed silence. "I don't know how much of a chance Tremor has, but I don't think you should give up on him just yet until we've expended every last option."

Candice's lower lip quivered for a moment before she burst into another fit of tears. "Flame!" She sobbed and buried her face in his chest scales. Flame was a little surprised by the gesture but he didn't reject her. He reached up and hugged her close, stroking her neck softly to calm her down.

"I know." He whispered. "I know."

"No you don't." Candice shook her head and pulled away to look him in the eyes. "I love Tremor." Flame jolted as if he had been stuck. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing from the ice guardian's mouth. The one dragoness he thought despised Tremor with a burning hatred. Candice noticed his expression and shook her head sadly, letting the frozen tears fly. "I know what you're thinking." She squeaked. "I couldn't admit it before." She looked the fire guardian in the eye and thrust her chest out and stood before him in a proud display of her power. "But I'm in love with him."

Time seemed to move at a snail's pace. The minutes turned into hours, the hours turned into days. Candice stayed outside the grove of trees, looking across the horizon. She curled up just below a couple of the trees to keep from getting drenched by the rain. The weather hadn't improved at all in the past several days. The hurricane hadn't hit them too hard and kept mostly along the coastline. Candice paid the storm no attention. She only had one thing on her mind and it was all she could see wherever she turned.

She could hear the voices of the other guardians deeper into the forest. Candice tried to make out exactly what was being said but soon gave up as the wind continued to interrupt. Every so often Flame would come out just to check on her and offer to go hunting for her. Candice refused to eat the entire time. Whenever Flame tried to coax her, she would just turn away from him.

At last Stella came out to check on Candice.

"I'm sorry about not coming to your aid beforehand." She apologized sadly. "I wanted to. Really I did. But I felt it would have been more beneficial if I focused on helping Tremor at the time."

"How is Tremor?" Candice mumbled.

Stella paused for a moment before letting out a tired sigh. "Well...In all honesty...I can't tell. There hasn't been much improvement, if any. We're trying our best...but Ember is still weak and growing weaker by the hour. Flame has her taking rest breaks to regain every little bit of her strength back." She sat down beside her friend and stared out at the dark sky. "I hate to admit it Candice...But things aren't looking very promising." The ice dragoness just sighed. "That doesn't mean you should give up on Tremor though." Stella continued.

"I didn't even get to tell him." Candice whimpered. "I found him...and he..." She couldn't finish the sentence and began to sob softly again.

"Faith and hope."

"What?"

"Faith and hope." Stella repeated. "Have faith that everything will turn out alright. And hope for the best when it does." Candice just stared blankly. Stella only smiled. "We know how much Tremor means to you. We're trying to do out best to give Tremor a fighting chance." She stood up and turned to go back. "You should do the same. If you really love him, then you'll do whatever you can for him."

"I will." Candice nodded and sat up proudly.

"That's the Candice I know."

Five more days passed. The storm had subsided and the winds had died down but the days were still rainy and overcast. Candice's faith was beginning to waver. The other guardians had been working hard but from the way things sounded, Tremor was taking a turn for the worst. Ember was trying every possible idea she could think of but she was quickly running low on stamina.

Candice sighed as she stared at the ground. She had been thinking back to all the times when she and Tremor used to argue with one another. She wished that she could hear his voice once more, even if it was him just trying to get on her nerves. She felt empty and restless. Whenever Tremor was around she had been more energetic due to the fact that she was not to be outdone by him.

"What a jerk." She chuckled and shook her head. She remembered when he had first come up with his nickname for her and what she had done to him. It had given her such satisfaction at the time and still did now. The more she reflected on their time together the more she regretted not seeing him as more than just a pest or a friend. The more she thought about it the more she began to despise herself. How could she say she loved him when there was so much tension between them?

Candice shook those thoughts from her head. "No. I won't think that way ever again!" She muttered to herself. "When Tremor comes back I'm going to show him how much he means to me. I'm not going to let him out of my sight ever again." She sighed peacefully. It was the most her mind and heart had been at rest in nearly three weeks. "I love you Tremor." She whispered as tears began to fall from her eyes again.

Several hours passed before Candice heard footsteps approaching. She sat up after wiping her face. The ice guardian turned around to see Stella emerge from behind the willow branches they had strung up as a makeshift curtain. Candice looked at her inquisitively. Stella gave an exhausted sigh and stared back at Candice. The ice guardian's eyes widened.

"No." She whispered in her mind and she began to tremble. Candice squeezed her eyes shut as tears began to flow yet again.

"Come on in." Stella murmured, jerking her head back inside the shelter.

Candice paused for a moment as Stella turned back inside, holding the branches out of the way for her with her tail. At last she gathered her courage. If she was going to have to live the rest of her life without Tremor, she was at least going to pay her respects and say good bye.

With her head hung low she ducked under the branches. Flame and Ember were both exhausted. The two fire breathers had just collapsed close to the willow trunk when the ice dragoness walked in. They nodded respectfully to Candice and turned their gazes away.

It was then Candice saw Tremor's body laying on the ground where she had left it. The forest floor was still stained red and the blood was already crusted over. Candice sighed, not sure what to do or say. Just as she was about to speak, Tremor's side moved. The dragoness gasped in surprise. She watched silently as Tremor's sides rose and fell with his breathing. Candice was frozen and a numbness overtook her. Was she dreaming?

At last she had her answer. One of Tremor's eyes opened just a crack. His eyeball rolled around, taking in his surroundings. It was then that he saw Candice standing off to the side, staring down at him in wide-eyed shock. Candice snapped out of her trance when a gentle smile spread across Tremor's mouth. It was the same one he gave whenever he had wanted her to know that everything was okay. However, the smile didn't last long. Tremor's strength was gone and he slowly closed his eye and fell back asleep.

Candice choked back a sob as she stepped forward. A relieved smile spread across her lips. She bent down and nuzzled him gently so as not to hurt him. His wounds hadn't healed yet and were covered in herbal leaves Stella had gathered. Feeling bolder, Candice lay down beside him and leaned closer, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Welcome back." She whispered softly

Off to the side, the other guardians smiled at each other. Sensing them, the ice dragoness turned to them with tears of joy overwhelming her. "Thank you. I love you all."

"What are friends for?" Stella placed a paw on her friend's shoulder for a moment before curling up by the fire.

Candice smiled at her and looked to Flame and Ember. Ember was already fast asleep, exhausted by the long days of working on Tremor. Flame was almost asleep as well but managed a smile before closing his eyes.

Candice turned back to Tremor and scooted closer to him. She felt warmer having him beside her. She bumped his cheek again before giving it a loving lick. She was finally at ease so she whispered to him in his sleep.

"I love you."


	39. Chapter 38

Cynder lay in her cell unmoving. The days and weeks had gone by without so much as a second thought from her. She had tried repeatedly to get in touch with Ignitus but each attempt had ended in failure.

"What have I done?" She whimpered to herself. She missed Spyro and Sparx along with the other guardians. She longed for Spyro's body to be next to her, giving her comfort when she needed it. It was then she remembered why she was here to begin with.

Cynder began to wonder how Spyro was doing. With two of his four elements gone and being separated from her, he was sure to be wondering what was going on around him. She could only silently pray that he would stay safe and out of harms way.

Just then the doors to the dungeon opened and the head guard entered with a tray. He set the tray down and spat into the bowl. "Eat up dragon! Our Alpha demands it!"

"You can tell your Alpha, that if he expects me to eat, then I'll be taking him as a main course!" Cynder spat, venom dripping from her teeth. The wolf stepped back. There had been several instances since the black dragoness had been brought that there had been reports of guards being attacked when getting to forceful with the dragoness. The canine growled and gripped his weapon threateningly. Cynder hissed back and venom sprayed from her mouth. The drops hit the floor a couple feet away from the bars and sizzled into the stone. The guard jerked back and made a hasty exit. When the darkness had returned Cynder retreated to her corner and curled up around herself.

"Excuse, me." A sudden voice came out of the darkness causing Cynder to jump in surprise. She looked around trying to locate the source of the one speaking. "Are you going to eat that?"

Cynder paused, glancing at the tray with a bowl of animal guts. She couldn't stomach food right now but her belly growled angrily. Ignoring the sound she walked over and pushed the tray away. She had no idea there was another prisoner there with her.

"Thank you." The voice said gratefully. "I have been starving in this cell for months."

"Who are you?" Cynder squinted into the darkness. Her eyes began to glow red. It was then that she saw the prisoner in the cell across from her. The wolf raised his head and stared at her shamefully. His eyes were a dull blue unlike the rest of his pack whose eyes were yellow.

"I can see that you have excellent sight in the darkness." The wolf bobbed his head slightly.

Cynder growled and stepped away from the bars. The wolf sighed sadly.

"Forgive me. I shouldn't have bothered you." The wolf turned away from her.

"Bothered wouldn't even begin to describe what you wolves have done." Cynder's eyes were blazing red and her tail blade twitched irately.

"So I hear." The wolf hung his head. "Every day I hear the guards talk of how the attacked your kind's cities. How they captured a legendary purple dragon."

"Spyro?" Cynder's eyes returned to normal.

"I take it that this is someone you know?" The wolf asked without looking back at her. Cynder didn't answer. "Well, anyhow, I've heard that Snarl was forced to leave the purple dragon behind at the frozen wastes."

"So he's alive?" Cynder took a step closer.

"I am uncertain." The wolf shook his head. "I have not heard anything like that from the guards."

"Well at least Spyro still has the others to look after him. I'm sure they found him by now."

"Others? You mean you were not alone when you were captured?"

"No!" Cynder hissed and turned her glaring eyes back on the wolf. "I have friends who try to protect this world from blood thirsty savages like you who want nothing more than to destroy everything we've worked so hard to protect." Cynder felt a knot tighten in her chest. "I could have lost Spyro so many times because of what you wolves and Malefor have been doing! Doesn't that mean anything to you at all?" Tears were beginning to flow freely from Cynder's eyes.

"I'm sorry." The wolf muttered and his ears drooped.

"Are you really?" Cynder snapped. "Do you know what it's like to almost lose someone you were close to? Because someone else wants to do something destructive?"

"I do." The wolf nodded and Cynder immediately fell silent.

The black dragoness sat down and wiped her tears away. "Why are you in here anyways?"

"Because I am considered a traitor to my people." The wolf looked back at her over his shoulder with sad eyes. "I was once well respected in our pack. Until one day when the Alpha summoned me to his cave. He proposed that I teach the warriors of our pack the secrets of our ancestors. When I inquired as to what for, he revealed that he was planning an attack on a tribe in Avlar.

"The cheetah tribe." Cynder gasped.

"Yes." The wolf turned to her once again. "When I refused he grew angry. He displayed a power I have never seen before in my years of studying magic and the elements of our world. Like the darkness in his soul became manifest."

"He used dark magic." Cynder growled and her talons dug deep into the stone floor. "It was Malefor, the Dark Master."

"I have heard." The wolf continued. "The Alpha branded me a traitor and had me locked away to rot. I've been here ever since. It was some time ago that I learned that he was replaced with a new Alpha, Snarl."

"You mean that big lug that threw me in here to begin with?"

"Yes. Snarl is young and gifted in his skills as a warrior but he is very impressionable by higher powers."

"You sound like you know him very well." Cynder tilted her head inquisitively.

"Yes. He is my great grandson."

"What! You're own flesh and blood?"

"I'm sure this comes as quite a shock."

"You can say that again! He tried to kill me and Spyro along with all our other friends!"

"Then I must beg for your forgiveness." The wolf bowed deeply before the dragoness. "I am deeply sorry for the pain and trauma he and the other warriors have caused you and your allies."

Cynder was speechless. She had never dreamed of encountering a wolf with such a sense of veneration. "Who are you?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Something about him reminded her of Ignitus.

"Forgive me." The wolf hung his head. "My name is Exile. I was the senior wolf elder at one time. I studied the world around us in order for my pack to survive and discovered ways for us to use magic and the energies around us to our benefit. Unfortunately other forces desired to use that knowledge for evil."

"What exactly do you know?" Cynder sat down, staring hard at the old wolf.

"My people are known to draw their strength from the moons that watch over our world. When the conditions are right, we wolves can change into much a larger, more powerful form than the one you see before you. When this happens, we can just about match any dragon in pure strength. However, these conditions only last for minutes at a time and only happen two to three times each year when the seasons change."

"I suppose that's convenient." Cynder muttered and her tail twitched, clacking her tail blade on the stone floor.

"Indeed." Exile nodded. "But I discovered a way to acquire that power without those specific seasonal requirements."

"And that's what Malefor was after. To boost the strength of your pack so you could attack the dragon cities without getting completely wiped out by the dragons that protected them."

"It would appear so." Exile sighed. "I never told the Alpha my secret, but I believe that the Dark Master has figured out how to transform the warriors of my pack without my help. So now I'm just rotting in this dungeon, waiting to die."

A long moment of silence passed between the two prisoners.

"Well now." Exile perked up slightly. "In any case, why are you here? I thought all the black dragons were taken to another prison, elsewhere."

"Really?" Cynder gasped and was on her feet in an instant. "Do you know where?"

"I don't." Exile shook his head. "It's a place that I have not heard of before."

"Oh..." Cynder hung her head and sat back down.

"So tell me, why you are so special that they would segregate you from the other dragons?"

"I used to be the Dark Master's puppet." Cynder sighed. "Before I even hatched my egg was captured by the Dark Master's forces. He used his dark magic to turn me into a monster. I fought against those who sought to protect this world from him and I nearly helped destroy it completely."

"Clearly that was not your true desire, was it?" Exile placed a hand under his chin and listened closely.

"No!" Cynder snapped. "I couldn't fight it. He was too powerful for me. It was Spyro who came along and saved my life. Even when I tried to run away from him after nearly killing him myself, he still stayed by my side. He refused to let Malefor take me back."

"It sounds like you really care for this Spyro."

Cynder blushed slightly as her thoughts drifted to memories with her purple dragon. "I do. I love Spyro with all my heart and soul. The only reason I'm here is because I want to protect him. I need to become stronger in order to keep the Dark Master from acquiring the rest of Spyro's powers."

"Hmmm..." Exile rubbed the goatee on his chin thoughtfully. "I think that I can help you, if you will let me?"

"Help me how?" Cynder asked suspiciously. "I know that I need to become stronger, but I don't know how. Most likely I don't have the time to train extensively to get stronger and I don't want to acquire power from the Dark Master ever again."

"Then I will teach you the things I have learned." Exile suggested. "If it's power you require and wish to use it for the greater good of our world, then I will grant you my knowledge of those powers."

"I would cross the universe and back until eternity ends for Spyro's sake." Cynder stood up and thrust her chest out, suddenly feeling stronger than she had been for the past few weeks. "I would lay down my life for him without a second thought."

Exile nodded and smiled. "Love is such a beautiful thing. Very well then. I feel that you are a dragoness of immeasurable honor and can be trusted with this knowledge."

"Really? You'll help me protect Spyro?" Cynder exclaimed excitedly. Exile nodded with a smile on his muzzle. "Oh, thank you! I don't know what to say!"

"You don't have to say anything...I don't believe I caught your name young dragoness."

"Cynder."

"Cynder? The legendary black dragoness of the skies?" Cynder sighed and nodded. "Well then." Exile straightened up and bowed courteously. "It is an honor to be at your service Cynder. Now I suggest that we both eat. We will need our strength in the days ahead."

"Right." Cynder nodded. The two prisoners divided the bowl between themselves. Cynder scarfed down the bland animal intestines and sat waiting for Exile to finish. Despite his ravenous appetite, the old wolf was surprisingly well-mannered. When he was done he scooted the plater back in front of Cynder's cell to keep the guards from suspecting anything.

"Alright then." He said and slowly got to his feet. "Let's get started shall we?"


	40. Chapter 39

Days passed by in moderate silence. The only noise came from the sounds of eating amongst the guardian candidates. Aside from the eating and checking on one another, they slept the time away.

Ember was just beginning to recover, after falling asleep for two days straight after just barely being able to bring Tremor back from the brink of dying. The kills Flame brought back to her, were immediately scorched and devoured before she fell asleep again. Stella hunted for herself and Candice who remained at Tremor's side every minute of the day. When the ice guardian got up to go help with the hunting Stella assured her that she had it all under control.

"You stay here." Stella waved a dismissive paw. "When Tremor wakes up again he'll be glad to see you there at his side."

However, Tremor rarely woke up. His wounds were healing slower than desired and after the first week, Candice began to worry. The times when Tremor was conscious he had barely eaten at all. Normally he had a very healthy appetite. The earth dragon made every attempt to eat but to no avail. His insides were still badly damaged and food only seemed to aggravate them even more. Each time he tried to eat, he would wake up in a fit of coughing and gagging on the remnants of his meal along with a good deal of blood.

"I'm sorry." He whimpered weakly after his fourth failed attempt. "I tried to."

"It's alright." Candice whispered softly, stroking his cheek with her talons. "Just rest up so your body can heal. I want you to get better soon. As soon as you're feeling better, we can talk. Okay?"

Tremor nodded slightly before letting his exhaustion take over again.

Candice woke to a droplet falling from the branches above. The wool liquid splashed onto her nose, causing the dragoness to cringe from the sudden chill.

Stella had been up for some time herself and noticed her friend jerk away from the chilly surprise.

"Good morning." She whispered softly.

"Morning." Candice smiled back. She wasn't as energetic as she could be, but enough to be in cheerful mood.

"How's he doing?" She asked, jerking her head towards Tremor. The earth dragon lay asleep after another day and a half of sleeping, he had managed to stay awake enough the previous afternoon for more than five minutes. Candice had given him some water to help heal him from the inside out and was thankful he was able to keep liquids down.

"That drink yesterday seems to be doing him some good." Candice nodded approvingly. "I just wish we could get him to eat so he can get better faster."

"Maybe if we were home we could get the cooks to make him some soup. If liquids are the only thing he can eat then they would at least get nourishment into him."

"Yeah. But I'm not sure we should move him just yet." Candice nodded in agreement. "But if he were willing to make the trip back he'd probably be better off."

"Well, when he wakes, you two should talk about it." Stella suggested as she headed for the clearing in the trees. "I'm gunna go grab some food. "You want anything? Possibly something small for Tremor?"

"I'll give him some of my rations." Candice shook her head. "Don't trouble yourself. "

"If you're sure..." Stella turned.

"I am." Candice nodded. "I'll see you when you return."

"Alright. Take care of him." The lightning dragoness spread her wings and took off into the distance.

Tremor woke again another day later. He yawned loudly and looked around. The morning camp fire was beginning to die down, but their cover beneath the willow was still warm. He looked down at the ice dragoness beside him who was still asleep and couldn't help but smile. Tremor leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. The sudden touch caused Candice to stir in her sleep. After a couple of tired grunts she opened her eyes.

"Morning bright eyes." Tremor smiled.

"You're awake!" Candice gasped and sat straight up nearly clocking Tremor's jaw with her forehead.

"Well, if you want I can just fall back asleep if you really want." Tremor smirked.

"No!" Candice shook her head, still surprised to see him up. "No, it's alright. Really. I'm glad to see you awake."

Tremor just chuckled. He jerked his head towards Flame and Ember's resting spot. "Where is everyone?"

"Out hunting." Candice replied.

"I see even Ember went too."

"Yeah." Candice nodded. "She's feeling a lot better now. It took her several days though to be able to just walk again."

"She didn't have to." Tremor sighed.

"What?"

"She didn't have to heal me. She was already weak to begin with. The reason I didn't get you guys for help was because I was afraid she would get hurt in the fight."

"Don't say that!" Candice shouted causing Tremor to jerk slightly. "You nearly died Tremor!" The earth dragon remained silent. "I was scared to death." Candice began to cry. "You have no idea how scared I was that I'd lose you."

"You? Lose me?" Tremor raised a skeptical brow.

"Yes." Candice nodded, staring him directly in the eye.

"You don't realize it Tremor, but I do care about you a lot more than you give me credit for."

"I wonder why." Tremor sighed. He groaned loudly as he struggled to his feet.

"I deserve that." Candice looked away, ashamed at her herself. Her attention was grabbed again when she heard Tremor groan loudly. Her head snapped around to see him struggling to get to his feet. "What do you think you're doing? You're strength hasn't come back yet."

"What are you, my mom?" Tremor snickered. "I'm just trying to stretch out. The ground isn't as comfortable as it looks."

"Fine." Candice snorted a small cloud of frost and leaned close to help support him. "But you had better take it easy."

"I will, you don't need to tell me." Tremor rolled his eyes.

"I mean it Tremor!"

"Alright I get it your majesty."

"That's a good start." Candice smirked. "We'll work on improving it from there."

"Oh brother. Now I think you've been stuck around me for too long."

"Hm..." Candice pondered to herself. With a great deal of effort, Tremor was finally on his feet. He staggered as he took his first several steps but Candice remained by his side to catch him should he falter. After several minutes of stepping slowly around the campfire, Tremor called it quits. The two guardians sat down together and watched as the fire continue to die out. A slight breeze swept through the camp ground, sending a chill through both dragons. Candice shuddered and without thinking scooted closer to Tremor. The earth dragon noticed and was a bit surprised by the action.

"So..." He started shyly. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Huh?" Candice leaned off of his shoulder and looked at him inquisitively.

"The other day. You said when I was feeling better, you wanted to talk with me. Well here I am." He gave his usual cocky smile that normally Candice would have been happy to wipe off his face. But today she was just glad to be able to see it again.

"Oh...Th-that..." Candice turned away, hoping Tremor didn't notice the way her cheeks flushed. Fortunately for her, he didn't. A long silence passed between them before either of them spoke again. "Well...I've had a lot on my mind lately."

"That goes without saying." Tremor rolled his eyes, thinking back to how she had been avoiding him and freezing the ocean back at the beach.

"Shut up." Candice snapped, her cheeks turning redder by the minute. "You know...I...I've never liked you before...That is...until recently...."

"Recently?" Tremor raised his brow again.

"I always thought you were such an annoying pest and a pain in my ass." Candice continued. "I never wanted anything to do with you."

"It takes you back to the good old days huh?"

"Tremor..." Candice looked back at him with nothing but seriousness in her eyes. Tremor shut his mouth, taking the cue. "It wasn't until that night when we reached the eastern city and we were watching over the city together that I realized what kind of dragon you really were." Candice looked back to the fire as she recalled the event. "You're strong willed. And serious about protecting the world around you. And I admired that. So much that I wanted to see it more. It was like I forgot that you were always getting on my nerves about every little thing. I just wanted to see that side of you more often."

"Well all you had to do was ask." Tremor smiled slyly.

"Don't pat yourself on the back too hard there, pebble-brain. You're still just as much of a screw-up and a jerk and an ass-hole! You don't think things through! You're impulsive and annoying! You always have something to say about everything! You never know when to shut the hell up and listen and...and...and..." The ice dragoness was getting so worked up she let her mouth speed ahead of her thoughts.

"And?" Tremor asked, unfazed by her sudden outburst.

Candice just shook her head. There was a strange look in her eyes as she gazed at Tremor. "I just can't get enough of it." She breathed heavily. Tremor's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. Candice pushed against him so hard, she ended up pushing him over and falling down on top of him. Tremor didn't even notice the pain that swept through his body. He just stared in surprise as Candice pulled away.

"I'm sorry." Candice choked as tears began to rolled down her cheeks and splash onto Tremor's neck and chest. "I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier."

"You mean after I admitted that I was really fond of you?" A smile tugged at Tremor's lips.

Candice nodded. "I should never have treated you like that. As much as an asshole as you can be you didn't deserve it. Even you deserve to be happy."

"Thanks....I think..." Tremor squinted at her and Candice laughed through her tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not that great at expressing my thoughts and feelings."

"It's been noted." Tremor's smile grew wider. "But you don't have to explain yourself."

"But I did enjoy kissing you before hand." Candice shook her head. "I enjoyed hearing that there was someone in this world who thought of me in such a way and wasn't afraid to show it. I just...didn't...I don't know...I guess my mind wouldn't let me feel comfortable since it was you. I mean...we always fight...We always get on each others nerves...We've said some terrible things to one another...and I just couldn't understand how after all that...you could find it in you to like me."

Tremor chuckled. Candice felt his belly scales bump against hers as he laughed. "I'm not sure myself. I guess I blame Gaia for that though."

"Really?" Candice cocked her head curiously.

"You remember when I came up with that perfect nickname for you?"

"How could I forget." Candice narrowed her eyes at him but the smile was obvious that she wasn't annoyed.

"Well, Gaia said I should give you a chance. She was going on about how sweet you really were, but I didn't really take it seriously at the time. I didn't realize that I sort of liked you until that night we stood watch over my home. When you said you would stay with me and help me protect my home, I realized that you weren't as bad as I'd thought." His smiled softened and he gazed up at her. "It was also the same night I realized how beautiful those eyes of yours are."

"Oh Tremor, you're such an idiot." Candice nuzzled him lovingly letting her salty tears catch along the edges of his mouth.

"I promised Gaia, that I wouldn't be as much of a jerk to you." Tremor stroked her neck with the back of his claws. "But I only ended up falling for you."

"I feel the same way, well kind of, okay well..." Candice bowed her head and blushed slightly. She was still feeling a bit nervous about expressing her true feelings to him. "It wasn't until we lost Gaia that I began to notice I was growing feelings for you. I didn't think much of it at the time since I felt that I was just being a good friend by being there to support you during such a hard time." Tremor only continued to stare at her blankly as she tried to explain herself. "I talked with Stella about everything before you were attacked."

Tremor's brows jumped. "Really. What did she have to say?"

"Just 'Wow'." Candice chuckled. "She looked like she had been slapped in the face when I told her we kissed."

"That's just about what I thought." Tremor laughed.

"But she did convince me that I do care for you a lot." Candice rubbed his cheek with the back of her paw being gentle enough not to aggravate the cuts that lined his face. "Anyone who throws himself in front of a lightning bolt for me, or is willing to get himself thrashed to defend my honor...Is more deserving than any other dragon in this world or the next." Candice brushed her muzzle against Tremor's and let her tongue graze his cheeks. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything for you Candy." Tremor smirked.

Candice giggled and rolled her eyes. "Do you still have feelings for me?"

Tremor's eyes widened in surprise at the question. He twisted his lips as he thought of an answer. "I think the question you should be asking is: Do you really have feelings for me?"

"What do you mean?" Candice jerked back slightly not expecting the answer he gave.

"I'm always going to like you. Whether you like me or not. But what does your heart tell you?"

Candice narrowed her eyes at him. "I hate you sometimes."

"I know." Tremor gave her his goofy smile. He knew he had gotten to her.

"But I love you even more." Candice leaned back down and pressed her lips to his again. This time Tremor kissed her back. He let out a satisfied groan and felt his mind leave his body for a moment. Despite his current condition he felt even better than he had in over a month.

It was then that Stella returned. The lightning guardian ducked under the long vines of the willow tree and was about to speak when she froze. She saw the two dragons in the middle of their kiss and her jaw fell open. The sheep carcass she carried nearly hit the ground but she snatched it up at the last second and ducked out of the campground. She turned away from the willow and moved back towards the clearing at the edge of the trees. There she met Flame and Ember as they came down from the sky, both carrying their own breakfast.

"What's going on?" Flame asked when he noticed the way Stella's cheeks flushed a deep crimson.

"N-nothing." Stella stammered. Her heart was racing inside her chest. "I think we should eat out here. Give those two some time alone."

"Oh, is Tremor awake?" Ember tilted her head towards the campsite.

"Uh huh." Stella nodded.

"Well, why don't we go and see if he wants to eat." Flame suggested and started for the campsite.

"Um, I think we should let them have some alone time." Stella jumped in front of the fire guardian. "I think Candice finally had the courage to tell him."

"Wait, when you mean alone time, you mean..." Ember's voice trailed off as Stella nodded. "Oh..." Ember's brows jumped as she glanced over at Flame who glance over at Stella.

"I think we should eat our breakfast out here." Stella finished.

"Agreed." Flame nodded, his cheeks starting to flush slightly too.

As they settled down to devour their meals, Stella looked over her shoulder at the camp ground. "Congratulations you two." She whispered in her mind.


	41. Chapter 40

Tremor collapsed on Candice's back. He felt the rapid rise and fall of her body as she panted beneath him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked and closed his eyes to fall into the feeling of her breathing.

"That...Was...Amazing..." The dragoness wheezed.

"Really?" Tremor sighed.

"Uh huh." Candice nodded with a smile. "It was really... unexpected, but...I'm glad... I got to experience something... that enjoyable with you."

"I meant what I said before." Tremor said as he rolled onto his side and pulling her up against his chest. "I'd do anything to make you happy. No more being a jerk towards you."

"Hmmm..." Candice purred softly as she thought about his words. "I don't mind you being a pain in the ass every once in a while. Just don't be a jerk."

"Promised." Tremor nuzzled the back of her neck. Candice leaned back and their lips met again. The two young dragons cuddled close to each other, leaning on each other for support. They lay their heads down, side by side and Candice turned to give the earth guardian a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you."

Tremor growled in satisfaction. "I love you too, beautiful." Tremor waited until the dragoness's eyelids lowered and she was cooing contently in her sleep. He nestled down and closed his eyes to dream. His body ached and burned, but it had all been worth it for his new love.

They hadn't been asleep for very long when an ear piercing roar cut through the air. Their heads shot straight up and their eyes grew wide.

Candice looked at Tremor with a worried expression on her face. "What was that?"

"Well done Cynder." Exile nodded approvingly. The black dragoness sat down, slightly winded in her cell. She had spent countless hours training in the darkness of the dungeon. She had revealed to Exile that she could use the darkness to slip out of her cell and move around freely, making it easier for her to demonstrate actively practice the techniques he was teaching her. "Why don't we take a break. I'm not as young as I used to be and I feel my body has reached its limits."

"Okay." Cynder nodded reluctantly. She vanished into the shadows and back into her cell. She lay down and rested her head on her paws.

"You've progressed quickly." Exile smiled. "More so than I thought you would."

"Thanks." Cynder smiled back. "Most of the things you been teaching me I was exposed to when I was working for the Dark Master."

"Indeed." The wolf nodded. "I imagined that was why you requested extra training in dispersing dark magic." Cynder nodded. "Just remember Cynder, that what I've taught you is to used for good. If you wish to protect Spyro from the Dark Master's powers, you'll need to have a clear mind and a pure heart."

"I understand."

"Those techniques do not make you immune to the Dark Master's power, but they do provide you a great deal of protection as long as you stay focused on your goal."

"I can't thank you enough Exile." Cynder sighed, tears starting to form in her eyes. They weren't tears of sadness but of a slight relief. As tired as she was she felt lighter, and filled with a new energy. The powers Exile had taught her coursed through her body. All at once she didn't feel the chill from the dungeon. The air seemed to get warmer around them.

"Just remember your promise my dear. That would be thanks enough."

Cynder shook her head. "No in the slightest. I promise, that when the time is right, I'll free you from this hell hole."

"You don't have to trouble yourself with such a task." Exile waved a hand dismissively. "I will do just fine on my own."

"But..." The black dragoness was interrupted by the locks on the main door falling to the ground. The door was flung open and a hulking wolf lumbered into the dungeon. He paused and waited for the pack leader Snarl to arrive. He carried a large crystal in his hand the had an eerie unnatural purple glow to it. Cynder recognized the stone and gave Exile a frightened look. "I know that crystal." She whispered. "The Ape King Gaul had one. He used it to turn me against the dragons when I was just a hatchling."

"Stay strong Cynder." The wolf whispered calmly. "Just remember what I taught you.

Cynder nodded and took in a deep breath, calming her nerves. Snarl appeared in the doorway. He and the other wolf walked over to Cynder's cell. The black dragoness hissed and spread her wings wide. The wolves paid her no attention.

"Do it." Snarl growled and jerked his head at the dragoness. The other wolf stepped forward with the dark Crystal in hand. Violet lightning bolts began to crackle around the crystal and Cynder stepped back. The bolts leaped out at her and the dragoness screamed. The dark magic was trying to swallow her mind and take it under control. The dragoness shook herself, desperate to rid her body of the darkness that threatened to consume her yet again.

"Fight it!" Exile growled to himself. Cynder's screams hurt his ears and watching her suffer was even tougher to bear. "Stay focused." He whispered, going into a trance-like state. "Remember what I taught you."

"No!" Cynder cried in her mind as the darkness closed in. "I won't turn evil! I'll never turn against Spyro ever again!" Her scream turned to a furious roar! Her eyes began to glow purple. Not from the Dark Master's power but Convexity. The violet aura burst from her body and the light blinded the wolves. The wolves turned away and shielded their eyes. Cynder's roar grew deeper as she began to grow. The walls of her cell were closing in on her. Her increasing size couldn't be contained anymore. The aura faded away and Cynder fell silent. The wolfs turned back to her cell to see only darkness.

Suddenly a pair of red eyes shone through the darkness and a terrifying growl shook the cavern. The wolf holding the crystal stepped back as the growl grew louder. There was deafening roar and Cynder smashed through the bars of her cell. The massive dragoness barreled through the wolf, crushing him and the crystal beneath her talons. She turned an evil glare on Snarl and bared her long teeth. The Alpha took a nervous step back. Cynder stalked towards him, black flames licking at the edges of her jaws.

"Stay smart." Exile meditated. "Don't do anything rash just yet. You will need intelligence to properly assess the situation."

Cynder growled at Snarl, considering the old canine's words in her mind. After a long tense moment she lowered her head submissively. Snarl finally relaxed and took a step towards the dragoness. When Cynder didn't move he reached out to place a hand on her head. The black dragoness hissed and the wolf withdrew his hand quickly.

"What would my master have me do?" Cynder growled.

Snarl smiled devilishly. "That's better. I would..."

"You are not my master!" Cynder bellowed and the catacombs shook violently, causing dust and stones to fall from the ceiling. "My loyalty is for the Dark Master and him alone."

Snarl felt his blood run cold as the adult version of his captive towered over his head. Not even the Dark Master had struck such a terrifying note in his soul.

"Now I will ask you one more time." Cynder brought her head down until she was nose to nose with Snarl. "What would my master have me do?"

The wolf swallowed hard. "Th-the purple dragon..." He stammered. "The purple dragon is required to continue with the Dark Master's plan. We must hunt him down and bring him to the burning mountain."

"Very well." Cynder hissed and shoved past the wolf almost having to crawl on her belly to the main door. With a piercing cry the dragoness blew the doors off, smashing several of the sentries in the process. She emerged into the slightly larger chamber and was fixing to head up the stairs when she heard the Alpha's voice.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Cynder turned her head and fixed her menacing eyes on the wolf. "My master has demanded the purple dragon. I'm going to go get him."

"The master has requested that I join you."

"I don't need the help of a wolf like you." Cynder huffed and turned away.

"He has ordered it!" Snarl growled. Cynder turned her head again. The wolf seemed determined to not let her out of his sight. She didn't want to leave with the wolf along with her, but she needed to keep up appearances.

"I won't disobey my master's orders." The black dragoness hissed irritatedly. "But if you get in my way or impede my progress in any way, I will not be held responsible for what happens to you. Understood?"

Snarl didn't answer. He bit his lower lip and followed the dragoness up the stairs.


	42. Chapter 41

The guardian candidates all took to the air; even Tremor. They broke above the tree tops as another roar spread across the land.

"That does not sound good." Flame muttered darkly.

"It sounds like it came from a dragon." Ember pointed out.

"If that's the case, then who is it?"

The four young dragons all hovered in the air, eyes sweeping over the horizon in every direction. When another roar reverberated through the air Flame felt a chill run down his spine.

"Ember, I want you to find some cover. I don't want you fighting in your condition."

"I'm not gunna leave you to fight on your own Flame." Ember protested. "I've always fought at your side and I'm not changing that now."

"Normally I would let it go, but this time I want you to hide. Please."

"I'm not doing it Flame!"

"Ember please!" Flame pleaded, his voice nearly cracking from desperation. "I see something!" Candice exclaimed and pointed a claw to the north. A small dot was coming from over the far hills. and closing fast.

"I've never seen anything move that fast before." Ember raised an eyebrow.

"Ember, I'm begging you! Find a place to hide! At least until we figure out if it's a friend or foe."

"Flame, I'll be fine." Ember insisted.

"Is that...Cynder?" Stella squinted at the approaching dragon.

"Cynder?" The other guardians chimed in together. They all stared hard across the horizon.

"Yeah, that's Cynder all right." Tremor nodded. "But...she looks...grown up?"

"Grown up?" Flame looked at the earth guardian. Then his eyes grew wide as he came to realize what was about to happen. He whirled around and grabbed Ember and dove towards the cover of the trees.

"Flame! What are you doing!" The dragoness cried. The fire guardian landed and pinned Ember to the ground. "Get off of me Flame!"

"I'm not letting you go until you promise me to stay out of this fight!"

"No! Why should I? Tremor's in even worse shape than I am! Why does he get to fight and not me?"

"Tremor is Candice's responsibility. You're mine! I'm getting a terrible feeling about this right now and I need you down here as support."

"I can support you just fine out there as I can here!"

"No!" Flame shook his head. "You don't get it..."

"What don't I get?" Ember spat a few angry tufts of fire from her nostrils.

"Look at me!" Flame snapped and held the dragoness firmly under his paws. Ember's eyes locked with his. "Trust me when I say...I need you down here for support."

Ember still wasn't sure what was going on but something in Flame's voice told her it was important for her to stay on the ground.

"Alright Flame...I don't know what you have in mind...but I do trust you..."

Flame sighed, thankful that she finally got the message. "Thank you Ember." He stepped off of her.

Meanwhile, up above Candice and Tremor were having their own spat.

"You should probably go down and protect Ember." Candice suggested.

"What for? She's not my girlfriend and she's more than capable of taking care of herself without me babysitting her."

"That not the point pebble-brain. You're not in your top fighting shape either, so we'll use you guys as back-up just in case."

"I'm fine Candy."

"Fine, I'll go." Stella sighed and dove towards Flame who was just stepping off of Ember. The new couple watched her go and Candice glared at the earth dragon.

"Tremor...why are you so stubborn?"

"Would you love me any less if I wasn't?"

"No. In fact I may even like you more."

"Well too bad." Tremor smirked and shot a glance back at Cynder. The dragoness dove low, just skimming over the treetops. "Do you think that's really Cynder?" He squinted at the dragoness.

"What are you thinking?" Candice raised a brow at him inquisitively.

"What if that's not really Cynder? What if it's just another illusion like the one we fought back home."

Candice looked back at Cynder. Tremor did have a point. Even if it did seem unlikely, it was definitely a possibility.

Just then another roar thundered across the sky. A gust of wind hit the two dragons. Tremor and Candice fought to keep from being thrown around by the intense force. The wind picked up, blowing leaves and dirt into their faces.

"Damn it!" Tremor shouted over the howling wind. When gust subsided the two dragons looked up to see the massive black dragoness bearing down on them.

Cynder closed in with shocking speed and struck Tremor with her long talons. Time seemed to slow down as Candice watched his blood fly through the air. The earth dragon flew back and slammed into the ground.

"Tremor!" Candice screamed. Down below, Stella, Flame and Ember turned their heads up to see Candice facing off with Cynder. "Cynder, what's wrong with you? Why are you attack us? We're your friends!"

"I have no friends." Cynder hissed and swiped at Candice who dodged. "Now I'm going to ask you once, and one time only. Where is the purple dragon?" She lunged and snapped at Candice.

"I don't know." The ice guardian hissed and breathed a cloud of ice only to have it blown away. "He left to go find you."

"Is that so?" Cynder paused. She was glad to hear Spyro was nowhere in the area. That meant she could could move on without having any sort of confrontation with her friends. "Any idea, where he went?" She leaned her long neck in towards Candice.

The ice guardian glared daggers at her. "I wouldn't tell you to save the world."

"Oh really?" Cynder lashed out at Candice again. Candice weaved to the side and struck Cynder across the face with her tail. Her spade left a small cut but did little to faze the dragoness. "I'll ask you again, Candice. Where is Spyro?"

"I have no idea!" Candice hissed and sent a shower of ice spikes at Cynder. The black dragoness knocked the spikes away as if they were nothing but flies.

"Damn it." Cynder thought to herself. "She isn't making this easy for me!"

Candice roared and charged Cynder. Cynder slashed with her talons again, missing her target. Candice banked hard and unleashed a blast of ice energy at Cynder's side. There was a loud explosion as the ice engulfed the black dragoness. Just before the ice could seal her in, Cynder unleashed a cloud of shadow fire. The ice melted away and the force from the energy recoiled back at Candice. The ice dragoness screamed as she was send spinning head over heals through the air. Cynder beat her wings hard and sent out a powerful gust. Candice went tumbling even farther.

"Wait here!" Flame ordered Stella and Ember. He sprang into the air and unleashed a wave of fire. Cynder banked to avoid it and was about to counter when she spotted Stella and Ember down on the ground. She waited until Flame was already above the trees before spewing a dark shadow-ball at him. Flame jerked his head to the side as the shot whizzed past his cheek. He spit into the air and a shower of tiny fireballs peppered Cynder's hide. The dragoness growled in irritation and breathed another wave of fire. Flame's jaws opened wide as he belted out a massive wave. The two forces collided and Flame struggled to keep up with Cynder. The black dragoness was barely trying. She narrowed her eyes at the fire guardian and let out a loud screech. The piercing sound reached Flame's ears and his eyes grew wide with terror. His heart began to race as Cynder's eyes flashed bright red. He knew it was her fear that she was using to get to him but he couldn't fight it.

At last he had enough. He ducked out of the way of Cynder's shadow fire and took cover in the trees. Cynder was about to go after him when another orb of ice energy hit her in the side again. This time Candice had caught her by surprise. Cynder's right wing and lower torso were frozen solid. The black dragoness roared angrily as she fell to the trees below. Candice flew down beside Ember and Stella and drew in a deep breath. With a shrill cry, she exhaled with all her might, turning the forest into a frozen maze of trees and bushes.

"Go check on Flame." Candice ordered. "I'm gunna go find Tremor."

"Gotcha." Stella and Ember nodded together. Candice dashed off towards the clearing while Stella and Ember picked their way through the trees being careful not to step on any sharp, frozen objects. At last they found Flame sitting on top of the frozen ground, back against a tree, head pointed to the sky with his eyes closed. Ember could see he was trembling, but not from the chill of the ice.

"Flame." She called softly. The fire guardian didn't answer. He was standing on his hind legs, and his claws dug into the trunk of the tree as if he were trying to melt into it.

"I think he's frozen stiff." Stella pointed out. "He's not moving."

Ember walked up to the fire breather and reared back on her hind legs as well. She placed her front paws on Flame's shoulders and his shaking grew more erratic. "Uh oh..."

"What is it?" Stella asked taking an anxious step forward. Something about Ember's tone frightened her.

Ember dug her talons into Flame's shoulders and shook him. "Flame! Wake up! It's me Ember!"

"Eyes!" Flame gasped. He was beginning to hyperventilate. His heart was pounding so hard against his chest it hurt. "Those eyes! Don't look at me!" He wailed.

"Flame!" Ember shouted and slammed him hard against the tree to try and get him to open his eyes. "Look at me! Flame! It's Ember! Look at me!"

"Those eyes! Those eyes!" Flame's pulse was beating out of control. His body began to convulse from the mass amounts of blood pumping through his veins.

"That's it!" Ember grabbed Flame's face and held him firm. The next thing he knew, he had the pink dragoness's lips pressed hard against his. He paused for a brief moment, allowing Ember to stroke his crest gently. "It's okay, she murmured through pressed lips. "I'm here for you."

Flame suddenly felt dizzy. His legs buckled and her fell on top of Ember. The dragoness yelped in surprise as she fell on the ground, cracking the ice beneath them.

"Are you okay?" Stella asked taking another step closer.

"Im fine. He's just a bit fear-stricken." Ember sighed as she stroked Flame's crest a couple more times. The fire guardian groaned and opened his eyes.

"Thanks Ember. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Let's not stick around to find out." Ember nuzzled him and helped him to his feet. "Let's get Candice and get out of here."

The ice dragoness bounded across the clearing. Tremor had landed smack dead in the middle of the dirt clearing. Much to Candice's surprise she saw him getting up as she drew closer.

"Okay...I'm convinced..." Tremor groaned as Candice skidded to a halt in front of him. "It's not an illusion."

"It took you that long to realize it?" Candice gave him an annoyed look. "Even after the beating you received, it took another one to convince you." The dragoness shook her head sadly as she looked over Tremor's wounds. Most of the serious ones had reopened and he had three new slash marks across his hide from Cynder's long talons.

"I guess I'm just a slow learner." Tremor chuckled, trying to hide the pain. He didn't want her to worry about him too much.

"Clearly." Candice rolled her eyes. The two of them turned to see Flame, Ember and Stella running towards them. "Can you fly?" Candice asked turning back to the earth guardian. "We need to get out of here?"

Tremor reared up on his hind legs and flapped his wings a couple times. They hurt a lot and the bones hadn't fully healed yet. "Well enough." He replied. Candice narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he was lying about how bad his injuries were but under the circumstances she was willing to let it slide.

Off to the side Snarl watched as three young dragons ran over to meet the two in the forest clearing. Cynder had dropped him and several of his wolf warriors off into the cover of the trees before engaging the guardians. Now the black dragoness was down and out of commission. This in tern meant that Snarl and his pack were free to act as they felt fit as long as they didn't kill the purple dragon who was nowhere in sight.

The Alpha sniffed the air. He could smell the many days of rain that had passed nearly two weeks before. The scent of dragon blood was strong and he looked across the clearing at the wounded earth dragon. The wolves could faintly detect the smell of one of their own The scent grew stronger the more they leaned towards the clearing.

"It smells like blood." One of the canines growled angrily.

Snarls eyes narrowed at Tremor. He had never seen the earth guardian before but there was something familiar about him. As much as his mind told him this his instincts refused to admit it. "That green one." The Alpha bared his teeth. "I' recognize him...But I can't tell from where."

"Perhaps the dragon city?" The rest of the pack focused their attention on Tremor and saliva dripped from their yellow fangs. The sight of dragon blood was making them ravenous for a kill.

"Hmmmm..." Snarl focused in on his target. "We will take these young ones in one swift blow." He said as he turned towards the rest of his pack. "Save that green one for me. I want to find out something about him before I kill him. Understood?"

"Yes Pack Leader." The wolves whispered softly to avoid being heard.

Several yards away, Cynder was just about free from her icy prison. She secretly cursed Candice for paying so much attention to Terrador and Cyril's lectures on combat maneuvers and battle tactics.

"We will take these young ones in one swift blow." She reared her head up and spotted Snarl and his pack of wolves crouching under the cover of some frozen trees and shrubs at the edge of the clearing. "Save that green one for me. I want to find out something about him before I kill him. Understood?"

"Yes Pack Leader."

"Shit!" Cynder thought to herself. She looked across the clearing to towards her friend. "I have to do something!"

"Are you two okay?" Stella asked as she and the fire breathers came stopped just in front of them.

"We're as golden as we're gunna get." Candice bobbed her head slightly. Stella looked over at Tremor whose blood was beginning to stain the dirt again. She opened her mouth to say something but she was cut off by Cynder's terrifying roar. The sounds shook the earth and the guardians felt their eardrums tremble. The frozen trees shattered and the sonic shock wave sent jagged chunks of ice and wood flying. Flame, Ember and Stella's eyes grew wide as they watched the wall of debris came rushing out to meet them.

"Get down!" Tremor and Candice shouted in unison. Both dragons leaped over their friends heads and landed between them and the cloud destruction heading right for them. Tremor ducked his head down and slammed a hind leg into the ground. A wall of earth burst up from the ground and he pressed his head against it for support. Candice released a beam of ice energy. A thick wall of ice formed over the stone, providing a larger protected area. Flame, Ember and Stella all dove close to the two other guardians as the wall of debris rushed by. The ground shook with tremendous force.

Meanwhile the wolves howled in surprise as they were send tumbling across the ground but the blast of Cynder's wind. Their cries were drowned out by the roar of the wind. When the shock wave finally died off, Snarl and his remaining warriors struggled to rise out of the piles of debris left in the wake of Cynder's blast. Several acres of the forest had been leveled and now the clearing that Tremor had originally created was littered with the broken remains of trees, bushes and branches.

"Is everyone alright?" Snarl coughed. Blood trickled from his head and his right arm had several chunks of wood sticking out of it.

"We lost Rip." One of the wolves answered looking up from a mangled hand that extended towards the sky from under a pile of tree trunks.

"Snort as well. I lost track of him when the blast hit."

"Damn that impudent dragon!" Snarl cursed and smashed his sword against a broken tree. He turned a hateful glare on Cynder. The dragoness felt his eyes on her but she pretended not to notice and slowly stalked towards the dragons huddled behind a wall of earth and ice in the middle of the clearing.

"Good work." Tremor nodded with a smile.

"You too." Candice blushed and nodded back. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when we actually worked together as a couple."

"Stay focused you two." Flame jumped in. "We're not out of here yet. Cynder's bound to recover soon."

"Too late you guys." The young dragons all looked up from under the arched wall that protected them. Cynder loomed over them with eyes glowing deep crimson.

"Oh...well..." Tremor swallowed hard. "Wow, this is embarrassing."

Cynder's jaws opened slightly and black flames began to lick at the edged of her mouth.

Flame and Ember were the first to react. Both fire breathers spewed a yellow-hot stream at the black dragoness. Cynder jumped backwards into the air with a tremendous flap. The gust of wind hit the young guardians like a ton of bricks. Tremor threw himself on top of Candice and gripped the ground with his claws; but Flame, Stella and Ember were blown away. The three of them spun through the air several times before spreading their wings and flapping to a shaking halt. Flame and Ember both spat another pair of fireballs. Cynder growled and beat her wings again. The gust of wind carried the burning orbs away from her and careening back towards Flame and Ember. Both fire breathers roared in pain as their own attacks exploded against them.

"Ember! Flame!" Stella cried as the two of them fell to towards the ground unconscious.

"Go help Stella!" Tremor jerked his head up at the lighting dragoness. "I've got control of those two."

"Alright. Be careful." Candice nodded and gave him a quick kiss for good luck.

"You be more careful." Tremor nodded as he watched her take to the air again. Candice fired a beam of ice nearly catching Cynder off guard again. The black dragoness rolled away as the ice guardian shot past her. Candice looped around and hovered beside Stella. Cynder glared at Candice. The ice dragoness was beginning to get on her nerves.

"Now I know why Tremor is always getting pissed at you." She hissed. "Always sticking your nose into someplace where it doesn't belong."

"Oh zip it!" Tremor shouted from the ground and spat an earth missile up at Cynder. The black dragoness hissed in irritation and swatted the mound of earth back at him.

"Look out!" Candice shouted.

"Shit!" Tremor covered himself with his wings and a barrier of rock formed over his head. The missile smashed against the barrier causing the ground to implode. Tremor shook himself as he emerged from the cloud of dust and stone. "That was close." He muttered.

"You are so in for it now." Candice hissed furiously. "I just barely got him back from the brink of death and you're trying to take him away from me?" The ice dragoness spread her wings wide ad began to glow with energy. The ice particles shimmered against the sunlight. Cynder cringed and shrank back from the blinding reflection. Candice's purple eyes were glowing wide with frosty rage. When she couldn't hold herself back anymore she let loose a roar that hurt even Cynder's ears. A white flash came from the back of her throat as she unleashed her power.

"Damn it!" Cynder cursed as she back-winged to get away from the beam.

Suddenly from out of nowhere a lighting bolt intercepted the beam of ice. The two forces collided and Candice felt a surge pulse through her body. She gave a quick shriek before jerking from the shock.

"Candice!" Stella hollered and dove to catch her friend. The bolt had stunned the ice dragoness but left her still conscious.

"W-what? What hit me?" Candice murmured lazily, her head spinning in circles. Stella just looked back at Cynder whose attention was focused on the sky above.

"That's what I'd like to know."

"Hey are you guys okay?" Stella turned to her left to see a glowing insect zipping towards them.

"Sparx?" She cocked her head to the side. "Is that you?"

"In the flesh sweetheart." The dragonfly stopped just beside her face. "We should probably clear out of here. With Cynder like this, things are gunna get really messy."

"What do you mean?"

Just then a roar came from the sky above. Every head turned up as a glowing purple orb flew out of the glaring sun. The aura dissipated and Cynder's eyes grew wide. The one dragon she feared the most to this pint had just showed up.

"Oh no." She thought to herself. "Spyro!"


	43. Chapter 42

Every eye focused on the purple dragon hovering above the landscape. He wore a very tense expression on his face as he stared hard at the black dragoness.

Cynder's heart raced. She had hoped that with Spyro gone she could make a show of defeating the other guardians and lead the wolves away form them. But now that plan was no more. Spyro hovered just over her head, staring into her very soul with his bright purple eyes.

"Spyro." She whispered to herself. "He's dead serious about this situation." The purple dragon was glowing with raw convexity again and the aura seemed to cover the sky overhead. "This is not good."

"Sparx, what's going on?" Stella asked in a frightened tone as the sky transitioned from light blue to deep violet.

"Spyro's getting serious about this whole Dark Master situation." The dragonfly looked back to his brother who shot him a quick glance. "We need to get out of here. Now!"

"R-right." Stella nodded and glided back down to Tremor who stood over Flame and Ember.

"Are we leaving already?" The earth dragon asked nervously.

"I think we had darn well better." Sparx nodded. "Where Spyro's concerned right now, we'll be in real danger if we don't clear out of here right away."

Tremor looked back up towards his friend for a moment.

"Come on Tremor." Stella urged. "We have to go!"

The earth dragon bent down and wrestled Flame up onto his back then did his best to hoist Ember up. The pink dragoness's hind legs and tail dangled sloppily on the ground but Tremor made sure she wouldn't fall off when he started moving. Stella helped a still-dazed Candice over to the edge of the destroyed trees. Tremor did his best to keep in pace but he was already severely weakened. He felt the weight of the two fire breathers begin to weigh him down as he trudged to the edge of the woods.

High above Spyro watched them out of the corner of his eye. When Tremor was close enough to the relative safety of the trees he narrowed his eyes at Cynder.

"Cynder..." He growled. The anger was very audible in his voice and seemed to give it a slight distortion. Cynder froze, fearing what might come if she dared to move. "Why?" Spyro asked his voice suddenly changing to despair. "Why are you doing this? This isn't you."

"Spyro..." Cynder whispered in her mind. She was transfixed on him. She hadn't seen him in what felt like years. But seeing him like this was more than what she could bear. The pain in his eyes was very clear. He hadn't been getting much sleep judging by the dark bags under his eyes and his once rich, purple scales were now a dull violet. He looked like a dragon who was nearing extreme exhaustion. "I want to tell you..." She shut her eyes tight, unable to speak to him directly. "I really do...but...I can't!"

"Cynder! Why!" Spyro roared and unleashed a blast of Convexity. The black dragoness dodged and stared at Spyro with horror in her eyes. She could hardly believe what he had just done. Spyro breathed another burst of convexity and once again Cynder dodged. The blast caused the ground to explode beneath her, sending up a tower of molten rock. Cynder was engulfed by the pillar of melted rock. Down below, the guardians and wolves gasped in shock. A split second later, Cynder burst up into the sky, trails of fire streaking away from her sleek black scales.

Spyro watched her with darkness filling his heart. His scales were flashing between black and purple as the darkness in his heart began to overtake him. Cynder saw his eyes begin to glow white with anger and her heart nearly stopped. This fight was quickly going to spiral out of control if she didn't do something quick.

The black dragoness's eyes flashed red as she roared down at Spyro. The purple dragon's eyes narrowed. Just before the sonic blast hit him, he zipped out of the way using his control of time.

"What the!" Cynder gasped in surprise then ducked as another beam of Convexity shot past her face. She retaliated with another blast of purple energy only to have Spyro flash out of the way again. The purple dragon suddenly appeared beside her and opened his jaws wide. "Shit! How did he..." Cynder turned an fired a beam at the same moment Spyro did. The tow opposing forces collided and sent a shock wave through the air, sending both dragons reeling .

"What the heck is that?" Stella asked over the thundering explosions overhead.

"It's called Convexity apparently." Sparx shouted. "It's a special power Cynder and Spyro acquired in their battles with the Dark Master. As if their powers weren't weird enough already, they have that one to add to it."

"But what exactly is it? It doesn't look like any element I've seen before."

"It's a distortion." Tremor replied.

"What?" Stella glanced at the gasping earth dragon who was staring up at the two brawling dragons.

"It's a distortion." He repeated. "Watch. Whenever one of them uses it, the air around them changes, like they're drawing the power from somewhere else."

"But it's clearly coming out of them like any normal element would." Stella pointed out.

"That may be true. But it's not a natural element of this world. Maybe another dimension?"

"Well we did fight Cynder in a portal made of the stuff." Sparx scratched his head. "So can we go now before this turned into a physics lesson?"

"Why are you joined with the Dark Master!" Spyro roared and fired another beam of Convexity. "Why Cynder!"

The black dragoness couldn't answer. She glanced down below to see Snarl and his pack mates climbing over the piles of debris that covered the ground. The wolves were nearing the other guardians who were totally clueless as to their approach.

"Answer me Cynder!" Spyro bellowed , his voice growing more distorted as black scales began to spread across his body. "I know you can hear me in there! Now tell me! Why are you with Malefor? Why aren't you fighting him?"

"I am!" Cynder cried in her head. Spyro's words hurt her and they would remain in her head during the days to come. "But you just can't tell from your point of view."

"Cynder!" Spyro's body grew pitch-black and his eyes went white. Cynder's eyes grew wide with terror as Spyro's dark side emerged for a one-on-one fight. The dark dragon's eyes narrowed to slits. Cynder barely had enough time to duck as a blast of convexity shot over her head. She dropped towards the ground and Dark Spyro took chase. He zipped behind her and slammed into her back sending her tumbling across the ground.

"Dear ancestors! Did you see that?" Tremor gasped.

"I did. But I don't believe it."

"This has gone on far enough!" Sparx hollered. "Spyro's not himself! We need to get through to him! He has to be stopped."

"Stopped?" Stella looked at the dragonfly curiously. This was the first she had ever seen Dark Spyro.

"That monster nearly killed Candice when the Dark Master showed p at Warfang!" Tremor bared his teeth as he set Flame and Ember onto the ground. "I won't let him get the chance again."

"Tremor, you're in no shape to fight." Candice mumbled drowsily. The shock was beginning to wear off but she still wasn't strong enough on her own feet.

"There's no force in this world that would keep me from protecting you." Tremor growled in a manner that frightened the ice guardian.

"Tremor..." She stared at him with wide eyes and he gazed back with his expression stern and unmoving.

They were interrupted by Spyro's twisted roar high above. The dark dragon shot in and struck Cynder in the chest. The dragoness shrank back, clutching at the tingling spot. Spyro banked around and charged again. He slashed with his claws but Cynder managed to knock him away. Spyro fired another blast of Convexity and Cynder countered with her own. The earth shook and the ground began to split.

"They're gunna tear this place apart!" Stella cried.

"Then we need to get out of here!" Tremor called. He looked at the ice dragoness. "Candice, can you walk on your own?"

Candice gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Well enough."

"That's good enough for me." Tremor sighed. "Let's move! Stella, grab Ember, I've got Flame. Candice you're in the middle."

"What about me?" Sparx demanded. "Just because I'm not a dragon doesn't mean I can't be of some sort of assistance."

"Look after Candice for me." Tremor nodded sharply. "I don't want her falling behind. If she looks like she's about to fall, tell me."

"Go figure. It's a babysitting job." Sparx grumbled.

"It's important to me!" Tremor snapped. "Now help if you want. We need to move!"

"You're not going anywhere!" A gruff voice stopped the young dragons dead in their tracks. Snarl and his wolves rose up over the mounds of debris, crouched on all fours, tails lashing at the air, ready to lung for the dragons.

"Where the hell did they come from?" Stella gasped, taking a step back and setting Ember gently on the ground.

"I have no idea." Candice shook her head worriedly as she took a couple steps back, closer to Tremor. The earth dragon's eyes locked onto the Alpha wolf. He had no idea how, but he felt as though he had seen this particular wolf before. Snarl noticed and pointed his blade at the young dragon.

"You..." He growled an Tremor bared his teeth in response. Every head turned to the earth dragon in surprise. Before anyone could say another word a blast of convexity hit nearby, sending more debris flying. Tremor ducked and covered Candice and Sparx with his wings.

"Cynder!" Spyro roared and slashed at the black dragoness again. Once again, Cynder nocked him away.

"Damn it!" She shouted furiously. She had no idea what to do. She couldn't talk openly to Spyro for fear of giving herself away to the wolves. And she couldn't retreat because Spyro and the others would most likely follow her. "Why me?" She sobbed in her mind. "Why is it always so hard? Why does my life have to be so tough! Why?" She began to curl into a defensive ball, clutching at her head as Spyro struck again and again, trying to get through to her. "Spyro, I love you! Why do I have to fight you!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks and she gritted her teeth tightly together.

"Cynder!" The dark dragon roared and charged in again.

"No!" Cynder screamed in her mind. "No more!" Without even a second thought she lashed out with her long talons. There was a flash as the glowing aura reflected off of her deadly claws. Spyro's eyes were wide with shock as his attack came to an abrupt halt. Cynder was frozen in horror as the darkness faded away from Spyro's body. The two of them locked eyes for a brief moment before Spyro began to fall. Cynder could only watch as the dragon she loved hit the ground in a splatter of blood from the three long gashes across his body.

"What have I done?" She gasped as she looked at her blood-soaked claws. "What have I done!" She clutched at her head screaming. Down below, the wolves yelped and covered their ears from the shrill cry of the agonizing black dragoness. The wind howled in response to Cynder's torment and threatened to blow everyone in the area away.

"Get down!" Tremor hollered and erected a wall of earth around him and his friends. The wolves were all blown away from the gust leaving nothing but fading cries in the wind.

"What have I done?" Cynder sobbed as she landed over Spyro's body. She was slowly shrinking back to her normal size. Spyro lay still, eyes staring blankly out at the world. Cynder leaned down, bringing her muzzle close to his head. She nudged him a couple times, but got no response. "Spyro..." She shook her head in dismay. "I love you...I'm so sorry...I...I couldn't..."

She was cut short when Spyro blinked. The purple dragon's side heaved as he inhaled deeply, trying to catch his breath. His eyes moved up to her standing over him. "C-Cynder..." He wheezed.

The black dragoness just shook her head. "I'm so sorry Spyro. She placed a paw on his shoulder and let her talons gently dig into his skin. Much to his surprise she felt warm. Cynder's shadows began to spread over Spyro's body, healing his wounds and restoring some of his lost energy. After a brief moment she withdrew her paw and stepped back. Spyro watched as her shadows swirled around her as she began to grow larger into her adult form.

"Cynder...I...I..."

"Don't talk Spyro..." Cynder choked back a sob as another tear fell onto his muzzle. "Not now..."

Before the purple dragon could respond, she spread her wings and took off, soaring low over the trees.

"Cynder! Wait!" Spyro called. He struggled to get to his feet but fell to the ground again as his wounds hadn't fully healed yet. "Cynder!" He cried at the top of his lungs as she disappeared from his sight.


	44. Chapter 43

"What the hell was all that about!" Snarl roared at the young dragoness. Cynder had snatched him and his remaining wolves up just before leaving the battle ground and had retreated back to the wolves cave.

"That does not concern you." Cynder muttered and turned to walk away from him. Snarl jumped in front of her, teeth bared and ears pinned back.

"It does concern me when you expend the lives of my pack without explanation and without regard!"

"I told you to stay out of my way! If your warriors got killed then it's their own fault! I gave you fair warning!"

"We could have had the purple dragon but you fouled up the plan!"

"You fouled up the plan! I think he saw you and your flea-bitten friends snooping around and that's why he went on the attack!"

"Then why didn't you finish him off? You have the power, so why not use it!"

"The plan is to capture him, not kill him you moron!" Cynder spat black fire at the Alpha, signing some of his fur in the process. "If I used my full power I would have killed him for sure! But since our master wants us to exercise restraint in this matter, my options were limited!" Snarl glared menacingly at her. "If I fouled up at all, it was letting my subconscious go unattended. And now we have to wait until the purple one is fully recovered before we can make another attempt at him."

"So how long will that be? I don't think our master will want to be kept waiting much longer."

"I don't know." Cynder shook her head. "Perhaps a day or so. In any case I need to rest."

"Fine. Then you can rest where you have been."

"What?" Cynder was promptly snatched up and dragged down to the catacombs. Snarl hurled her into a new cell beside Exile's and stormed out of the dungeon. "Hey! You can't do this to me! I'm the Dark Master's general!"

"Not while you're in my village." The wolf spat and slammed the doors with a loud clang.

Cynder's temper flared and black flames spread from her body.

"Be calm young Cynder." Exile's soothing voice came from the neighboring cell. Cynder took several deep breaths before settling down. She lay on the cold stone floor and rested her head on her paws. She suddenly felt more exhausted than she realized. "Tell, me. What happened?" The old wolf moved closer and sat down.

"Well, I was hoping not to run into Spyro, since the Dark Master needs him for his plans. I managed to track down my friends who I thought he might be with. Luckily he had taken off so I was thinking about trying to find out where he went so I could lead the wolves on a wild goose chase..."

"But what would you have done when they found out that you were leading them nowhere?" Cynder fell silent. She had never thought about her plan that far ahead. Her main concern was keeping the Dark Master from getting Spyro. "Perhaps that is why you failed in your mission."

"I guess so." Cynder sighed and a sob escaped through her lips.

"Don't cry Cynder." Exile reached through the bars and stroked the dragoness's back. "Your heart was in the right place. You just need to learn to put your mind there as well, as difficult as it might be."

"I just feel so helpless." Cynder whimpered. "I have the power I need to protect Spyro but it feels like it's no good."

"You already have the physical power my dear you just need the right mentality to go with it."

"But what if I don't?"

"Don't ask, what if you don't." The old wolf shook his head. "I wouldn't have taught you if I didn't think you had the heart or desire to control these new powers."

"But I just felt so horrible. Having to fight Spyro and the others. I hurt them. My best friends in the world and the dragon I love the most."

"It's tough because they have no idea what's going on." Exile pointed out. "They only saw you as an enemy. Not as a friend working to help their cause."

"But how do I tell them? How do I show them?" Cynder looked down at her forelegs which had a couple of mild cuts on them from Spyro's attacks. They didn't hurt but she could hardly believe he had outright attacked her. But then she couldn't really blame him either. She had joined the one dragon they both despised without so much as a word of explanation to him about it.

"I don't have the answer to that my dear. That solution is up to you."

Cynder sighed and rose to her feet. "I need some fresh air. I'll try and be back soon."

"Try not to be gone too long." Exile warned her.

"I'll try." Cynder nodded. Black flames began to emanate around her body and she disappeared into the shadows.

The old wolf sighed and rubbed his goatee. "These dragons as fascinating creatures." He smiled to himself and sat back against the wall of his cell. "Good luck my dear."

Tremor hissed loudly as Candice bandaged up his wounds. The guardians had moved several miles inland towards the mountains where the forest had been untouched by battle. Here they had set up a new camp sight and found several trees that produced medicinal fruits. Flame and Ember had regained consciousness and had helped eat the fruits. Now Candice and Stella were busy binding the rinds to the wounds on Tremor and the fire breathers. Sparx had taken charge of fixing up Spyro, feeling that his best friend could use some brotherly comfort.

"Stop whining." Candice scolded. "If we don't get you patched up, your wounds will get infected."

"I'm already in enough pain as it is." Tremor groaned as the dragoness did her best to tie a vine around the rind on his badly injured shoulder.

"I know." Candice sighed sadly as she stared at the scabbing wound. The wound was healing better than expected but Candice was almost certain the he would be left with an ugly scar for the rest of his life. "I just got you back and you're already thrashed again."

"I'm still breathing Candy." Tremor nuzzled her affectionately. "So let's be happy about being able to be together."

Candice just shook her head and smiled. "I suppose your right." She rubbed her cheek against his, watching for his horns and brushed her side against his.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt you two..." Stella spoke up, catching their attention. "Where is Spyro?"

It was then that Tremor, Candice, Flame and Ember noticed that the purple dragon was nowhere to be seen.

"I thought he and Sparx were just over by that tree." Flame thrust his head towards an old willow. The guardians all exchanged glances.

"I'm gunna go look for him." Stella said. "Would you mind?" She looked to Candice.

"Leave it to me." The ice dragoness nodded.

Stella nodded back and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

"Damn it!" Spyro cursed and slammed a paw on the ground in frustration. "Why can't I use my elements anymore?" He had snuck away from the group and had been trying to summon his ice and fire elements. But he was only managing to unleash severe fits of coughing and sputtering.

"Maybe you just forgot." Sparx suggested. "I mean, it could just be like when you defeated Cynder."

"But I didn't forget. My powers were just drained and needed to recharge."

"Maybe with everything going on, your powers are beginning to drain away again."

Spyro's eyes widened in horror at the thought of his powers disappearing.

"No." He shook his head in disbelief. "No, that can't be. That can't happen. Not now. Not with Malefor on the loose again."

"Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy buddy." Sparx floated closer to his brother and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "I know how you feel. It's frustrating."

"Sparx, I feel so helpless!" Spyro gasped and collapsed on his haunches. "I've lost Cynder to Malefor again. I'm losing my powers and I don't know if I'm gunna be strong enough to get her back."

"Don't talk like that Spyro." Both boys heads snapped around to see Stella push aside some tree branches and stop to face them.

"Stella." Spyro gasped in surprise.

"You of all dragons should know better than to give up when you have someone to fight for. If you start doubting yourself you'll just be showing Cynder that you're already planning on giving up on her."

"But...I don't want to give up on her!" Spyro stammered.

"Well I don't know how Cynder thinks, but I would feel like I wasn't being given a chance if it were me you were talking about." Spyro jerked his head back. He felt like he'd been slapped and he hung his head in shame. Stella frowned. She walked over and placed her tail spade under his chin and brought his eyes to meet hers. "Don't hang your head like that. Hold it up. This fight is far from over."

Spyro was shocked by the ferocity he saw in her golden-brown eyes.

"Do I make myself clear Spyro?"

"I think she has you there buddy." Sparx laughed when he saw his brother left speechless.

"Sparx, would you give us some time?" Stella asked politely with a gentle smile.

"I suppose if it make s Spyro feel better, I can go bother someone else."

"Thank you." The lightning dragoness bobbed her head courteously and waited for his glow to disappear into the darkness of the woods. When she was sure he was out of earshot she sat down beside Spyro and gazed up at the sky. The stars were covered by dark clouds. A tingle rippled up her spine. "It's gunna rain soon." She said in almost a whisper.

"How can you tell?" Spyro asked giving her a curious glance.

Stella just looked at him with eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. "Because I'm relaxed." Spyro's head tilted inquisitively and Stella just smiled. "Go on. Smell." She lifted her nose and sniffed the air. Spyro followed her lead. He inhaled deeply, letting the cool night air fill his lungs. Sure enough he could detect the faint smell of the water in the atmosphere. Stella sighed with relief as she relaxed again. "Sense it now?"

"Yeah." Spyro nodded, a little embarrassed that she had noticed the change in the weather before he did.

"When you relax your senses are are their strongest." Stella pointed out. "When you let yourself get too tense, you block off your senses and soon you're left with nothing to rely on but your brute strength." She turned and look him in the eye again. "Spyro, fighting the Dark Master is not just a battle of strength but one of smarts too. We all have to stick together and use our heads if we want to beat him once and for all."

"Stella, do you know what it's like to fight Malefor?"

"No. Should it matter?"

"The way Malefor works is he takes everyone's deepest and darkest desires and grants them their wishes. In return he turns them into his slaves. He just has so much power that it's just too irresistible for anyone to turn down."

"I don't believe that." Stella shook her head.

"What?"

"If that were true, then how come you can turn it down so easily?"

"I...I don't know...Ignitus...the last fire guardian said that my heart wouldn't allow the world to be destroyed or consumed by evil."

"Well I think he was right." Stella puffed her chest out to make her point. "You have a good heart and a strong one at that. And that's what I admire so much about you."

"Stella?" Spyro's cheeks began to flush. The lightning guardian just laughed.

"Don't worry Spyro. I like you a lot, but I know your heart is Cynder's and it's not my place to interfere with your relationship." Her smile widened and she gave Spyro a playful nudge. "But I do envy Cynder though. She's very lucky to have someone like you to care about her so much. So do me another favor, and don't ever let her go."

Spyro's heart began to settle down. He smiled at the dragoness and nodded. "I won't. Thank you Stella."

"What are friends for?"

Spyro just grinned and took another deep breath before looking up at the sky. The clouds were growing darker and he thought of how they reminded him of Cynder's dark scales. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything." The dragoness nodded.

"I've never been good with expressing my feelings openly. Especially with Cynder. But I was doing some research in the library at Warfang and I came across something that I thought might let her know how much I really care about her."

"Oh?" Stella tilted her head slightly.

"Well, apparently, back during the times before Malefor, dragons would collect armor, gems and other treasures. They did this so when they came across a female they wanted, they would present her with a treasure to show their worth."

"I don't think Cynder would want any piece of treasure to know how much she means to you."

"I know." Spyro nodded. "But I got this idea from looking at the treasures. You know how Cynder has those silver gauntlets on her legs, neck and tail? Well I came up with a design for one. It's based on the whole idea of presenting the dragoness of your dreams with your most valuable piece of treasure. But I was planning on presenting it to her when I asked her to... well...you might think I'm being childish by saying this..."

"How bad could it be?"

Spyro sighed and took in another deep breath. "Well, I love Cynder so much, I wanted to ask her one day if she would be my life-mate." Stella's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She was completely taken by surprise with this news.

All of a sudden there was a rustle in the bushes off to the side. The two dragons whirled around to face the potential threat. A slight gust blew into their faces and Spyro's nostrils flared. Then his eyes grew wide as he recognized the scent.

"Cynder!"


	45. Chapter 44

The black dragoness ran through the forest as fast as her legs would cary her. Behind her she could hear the sounds of the purple dragon crashing through the underbrush.

"Cynder wait!" Spyro shouted but she continued to run.

"Why me?" Cynder gasped as tears streamed from her eyes. "I'm trying to help Spyro and things only get harder with each step I take."

"Cynder!" Spyro called. Her scent had surprised him and he was suddenly filled with energy he didn't think he had. The possibility of his black dragoness being so close to him was enough to sparx a new fire deep in his heart. He gritted his teeth when Cynder refused to slow down. "No, I won't lose her this time!" He growled to himself.

He tapped into his time-control power. He bounded faster until he spotted Cynder through the trees. He didn't notice the droplets of water that floated through the air that were her tears. His power subsided and he tackled her to the ground. Cynder gave a feral hiss and rolled over, striking Spyro in the face with her bladed elbow. Spyro grunted in pain as the blade raked across his cheek. Cynder kicked him against at tree, stunning him for a brief moment. Cynder was about to make a break for it but when she saw her purple dragon struggle to his feet and look at her with his eyes, pleading not to go, she lost her chance.

"Don't...don't go..." Spyro coughed as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry." Cynder choked back a sob. "I can't stay."

She turned to leave but Spyro pounced on her again. The two rolled over each other in a ball of claws, wings and legs until Spyro was able to get the upper hand and pin her down on her back. The two had broken free of the trees and had come to a stop in the middle of an open field.

"Get off of me Spyro!" Cynder fumed and lashed out at him. Her long talons missed his face, leaving three bloody marks on his neck.

"No!" Spyro shouted, ignoring the burning in his neck. "I'm not letting you go! At least not without some sort of explanation."

"Spyro, I can't tell you what's going on!" Cynder struggled to squirm away from him.

"Why not Cynder? Why can't you tell me what's going on?"

"I just can't!" Cynder cried, the tears were flowing uncontrollably. Overhead, lightning crackled across the sky shining a terrible glow over Spyro's figure. His eyes began to glow with convexity as his mind began to drift.

"Why!" He pressed down on her shoulders harder, causing the dragoness to scream in pain. Spyro froze, as he realized what he was doing. He released her shoulder and bowed his head in defeat. "Cynder!" He sobbed, tears billowing from his eyes and splashing onto her chest. "I'm so scared! I'm losing my powers, I'm losing my mind and it feels like I'm losing you too! I don't know if I can keep going on like this much longer!"

"Spyro." Cynder choked again and reached up to stroke his cheek. She looked at the smeared blood on her paw. She had never purposely struck out at him like this before. It killed her inside to know that she had done it. "I'm so sorry. I can't tell you what's going on. It'd be too hard on you. Harder than it is already."

"But why?" Spyro looked her in the eye, pleading for any sort of answer.

"It's too hard to explain." Cynder shook her head. "And I don't have the time for it."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Spyro snapped, his voice striking a bolt of fear into the black dragoness. "Just sit back and watch you work for the Dark Master and destroy everything we've worked so hard to protect?"

"I'm not working for the Dark Master Spyro!" Cynder snapped back.

"Then what was it I saw earlier?" Spyro reared back, ripping the fruit rinds from his gashes left by Cynder. "Are you telling me that this isn't the Dark Master's doing?"

"I'm not working for the Dark Master!" Cynder shouted and another bolt of lightning lit up the sky giving her aqua eyes an eerie glow. "It was just an act. I admit it got a little bit out of control, but I never intended to hurt you Spyro." The purple dragon didn't look fully convinced. Cynder sighed and choked back another sob. "Spyro, can I ask you something?"

"You know you can ask me anything Cynder."

"Do you love me?"

Spyro jerked his head back in shock. Was she really questioning his feelings for her? "How can you ask..."

"Yes or no! Do you love me Spyro!"

"Yes!"

"Do you believe that I would do anything for you?"

"Yes!"

"Do you trust me! With all your heart and soul?"

"Yes Cynder! I do! I trust you more than anyone in this world."

"Then I'm asking you, Spyro the dragon! I'm asking you as a friend and the dragon I love, to trust me in this matter." Spyro was speechless. He stared down at her, numb from her words that were burning into his heart. Cynder sensed his tension and reached her arms up and pulled him close. A few droplets fell from the sky. Before long a gentle rain was coming down on them. "I know it must be hard for you. It's not any easier on me too. But we're in this together Spyro. We're both carrying the burden. I promise you that."

"Cynder...I...I just feel so lost without you."

Cynder looked up at him. Water dripped from his muzzle and splashed onto her face. "I know how you feel. But you've been my strength this whole time Spyro. I'm doing this to protect you."

"Protect me from Malefor?"

Cynder shook her head. "Like I said, I can't say. But I'm asking you to trust me. I couldn't bear the sight of you earlier when you had changed. I wanted to tell you what was going on, but it's for the better if I don't." Spyro sighed and rested his belly scales against hers. "I don't like the idea of keeping information from you either. But I do believe it's for the best."

"Alright Cynder." Spyro nodded, still very much unsure about the whole situation. "I trust you."

"Do you really?" Cynder gazed deep into his eyes.

Spyro paused for a moment then nodded. "I do."

"Thank you." Cynder sighed and leaned up to press her lips to his. Spyro kissed back with deep enthusiasm. It felt like he hadn't seen her in years and even longer since they had kissed. Cynder let him press down on top of her, letting his body shield her from the rain. The water flowed over Spyro's body and onto Cynder's, with the occasional streams seeping between their belly scales.

"I love you Spyro." Cynder whispered in her mind.

"I love you Cynder." Spyro whispered simultaneously.

At the edge of the clearing Stella watched with a smile on her face. She had followed Spyro after Cynder and was close to stepping in between the two when their fight became too heated. But the gentle splash of raindrops on her scales soothed her as she watched them embrace under the open sky. The lightning dragoness bowed her head slightly and ducked back into the forest without a sound.

Cynder stirred as the sun hit her in the eyes. She grumbled to herself as she woke from he slumber. The sun was always waking her when she didn't want to be woken. She curled into a tighter ball, and realized that she had just bumped against Spyro's side. She cracked one eye to see the purple dragon had a wing draped over her as a cover from the rain during the night. The black dragoness yawned loudly and stretched herself out. Spyro jerked slightly and opened his eyes. Cynder smiled at him and licked his cheek softly as to not aggravate the cuts anymore.

"Good morning." She whispered lovingly.

"Good morning." Spyro yawned. It felt like he hadn't said that in ages. He watched as Cynder got up and stretched out her legs and wings, giving them a good shake. When Spyro got to his feet he shook all the accumulated rain off of him sending a shower of liquid diamonds sailing through the air. Cynder squealed as she was doused in the water and both dragons laughed. It felt so good Spyro flicked his tail over the tips of the grass and sent another spray of water at Cynder. The black dragoness let out another yip and bounded away. Spyro took off after her. The two dragons chased after each other, sending splashes of morning dew at each other in the early morning sunlight. At last Spyro tackled Cynder and they fell to the ground in a fit of laughter.

"I love you." Cynder panted, her chest heaving beneath Spyro's.

"I love you too." The huffed back. The two looked out across the hills at the mountains in the distance. Cynder sighed and pushed up from underneath Spyro. "Where are you going?" He asked, somewhat hurt that the moment was broken.

"I have to go." Cynder said sadly.

"Go? But I just got you back. I thought..."

"I know..." Cynder stopped him with a raised paw. "But I have to go now. I'll be back soon. Within a day or two is the plan."

"Cynder..." Spyro tilted his head wanting her to stay. Then he just sighed and nodded. "Alright. I trust you."

Cynder smiled and nuzzled him under the chin. "Thank you Spyro." She turned and walked a few paces away before spreading her wings. Spyro sighed to himself as he watched the sunlight reflect off of her glossy black scales and droplets of water that shimmered across her body. She looked nothing less than stunning in the morning sun light.

"I really am luck y to have her." He thought to himself with a smile.

Just before she was about to take off Cynder thought of something. "Oh, before I forget..." She turned and gazed at him with eyes that could melt metal. "The answer is 'Yes'." Spyro cocked his head curiously. Cynder smiled. "I'll leave you to figure it out." And with that she was airborne.

As Spyro watched her go he came to the realization of what she was saying and a wide grin spread across his mouth. "She says Yes." He was glowing from the inside out. He reared up on his hind legs as his golden aura spread across the forest. Before she disappeared from view Cynder heard his triumphant roar echo across the morning sky.

She smiled to herself as a couple tears escaped from her eyes. "I love you."


	46. Chapter 45

Exile sat patiently in the cold darkness of the dungeon, listening to the sounds of the earth. The guards hadn't touched the door since Snarl had left Cynder in a rage, hours before. The black dragoness had been gone nearly just as long. As his powers of perception extended outward from the thick stone of the cave walls he felt the warmth from the outside. It was already morning and still Cynder had not returned. The old wolf took in a deep breath as he calmed his nerves. It was important for him to practice what he preached to Cynder if he were to truly become a role model for her.

All at once he heard the sounds of footsteps coming down the steps from the main chamber of the cavern. He recognized the irritated stomp as those of the Alpha's. Exile cracked one blue eye and glanced at Cynder's cell.

"Time is up Cynder." He whispered.

As if to respond, there was a soft whiff and a cloud of shadows drifted into his cell.

"What'd I miss?" The black dragoness asked, her eyes shining through the darkness.

Exile's nostrils flared. "I should be asking you the same question." He replied causing Cynder to blush with embarrassment.

"Oh...well..I...um..." She stammered.

"It's alright my dear." Exile waved a dismissive hand. "But..." He was interrupted by the sound of the doors to the dungeon opening up. With a loud snort Snarl entered the prison. He stomped past Exile, not giving the old wolf a second glance and stared into Cynder's cell.

"Get up!" He barked. "We're going! Now!" He was answered with a loud growl and shadows began to spread out from the darkness of the cell. Cynder's eyes burned with convexity and Snarl took a step back as the growl in her throat grew louder. He dove to the side as the barred doors went flying. The guards entered jump in alarm and drew their weapons as they rushed into the dungeon. Snarl coughed hard and turned to stare up at the terror of the skies. Cynder leered at the other wolves who shrank back in fear.

"I think your warriors are a little weak in the knees." She hissed mockingly. The pack leader looked back at his warriors and barked once. The warriors yelped in surprise and straightened up with a bit less nerve than they had entered the dungeon with. Cynder sneered and barreled out of the dungeon and spread her wings with a mighty roar. The sound of her voice carried throughout the cavern, shaking boulders free from the walls and ceiling. The wolves of the village howled in fright and scattered to the cave walls for shelter.

Cynder smiled to herself, pleased with making her presence known. She didn't know why but she was suddenly full of energy. She lumbered up to the main cavern and soared to the main cave entrance. Like she had before she tucked her wings to her slender body and shot like an eel through the narrow opening. Once outside she let the warm sunlight fill her wings as she beat them against the morning thermals blowing up against the side of the mountain. Several minutes later Snarl appeared at the mouth of the cave. He was panting from the exertion of racing across his tribe's village.

"What is taking you so long?" Cynder demanded, letting her hiss hang in the air. "We have work to do and I don't think my Master can be kept waiting much longer."

"I'm bringing a couple of my most elite warriors along this time." Snarl pointed a punishing finger at the black dragoness.

"I don't think that could help you much if at all." Cynder spat a tuft of black fire signing the stone just above Snarl's head.

"Oh I beg to differ." Snarl snickered. "These warriors were granted their power from none other than your master." Cynder cocked her head sideways as Snarl snapped his claws together. Immediately a trio of wolves emerged from the cave from behind the Alpha. These wolves were larger and had a more massive build than the ones Cynder had encountered before. Two had fur, bristling with ice spikes and eyes as white as the snow itself. The third had fir that stood on end and Cynder could hear the crackle of electricity.

It was Snarl's turn to sneer at Cynder. The black dragoness gritted her teeth as she landed for the wolves to climb onto her back.

"Mount up!" Snarl barked. The wolves yipped and hollered with excitement. Cynder suddenly felt dirty as she felt the canines climb onto her back. She hated them so much more than she had before and her shadows began to emanate from her body. It was then she remembered Exile's voice in her head. SHe took a deep breath and settled her nerves. Without warning she spread her wings and sprang into the air, leaving the wolves to yelp and bark in surprise, clawing at her hide, trying to get a grip.

Spyro walked back to the campground feeling pretty good about his morning so far. A new power seemed to swell up inside him. When he entered the campground every head turned to look at him.

"Hey Spyro!" Sparx perked up and flew over to his brother and draped an arm around his neck. "You feeling any better?" It was then he noticed the tooth marks on his neck.

"Yeah I'm doing much better." Spyro nodded with a smile.

"What happened to you?" Ember asked taking a couple steps closer. She leaned down and peered at Spyro's neck. The bite Cynder had given him had been almost healed over from when he used his special powers but the markings still remained.

"N-nothing." Spyro stammered. "Really."

Ember and Sparx both narrowed their eyes at him. They knew what the marks were and they looked over at Stella whose brows jumped in surprise.

"What?" She asked. "I didn't do it."

"Yeah." Spyro nodded. "Now can we just drop it?"

Ember raised a suspicious brow. "Alright,Spyro. If you insist."

"Thanks..." Spyro turned to the rest of the guardians. "We need to rest up. I'm almost certain that the Dark Master will send Cynder after us again soon. And we need to be ready for her when she does."

"What makes you she's going to attack this soon?" Candice asked. She was sidled up next to Tremor who had a wing draped around her.

"Because I know how the Dark Master thinks." Spyro narrowed his eyes. "We need to make sure we finish off the Dark Master's forces and defeat Malefor once and for all."

"You sure seem energetic about it." Tremor said, picking himself up off the ground.

"I guess you could say I needed to come to think things over last night." Spyro smiled and glanced over at Stella who smiled back. "I know these past several weeks have been tough on everyone." The guardians all chuckled nervously. Candice nuzzled Tremor as she stood up beside him. It was the first time Spyro had seen them acting in such a manner towards each other. He smiled to himself and continued with his speech. "I know that taking down the Dark Master is not going to be an easy task. Defeating him was the hardest fight I ever had to deal with before. I've watched you all grow as guardians. I know you're still in your training stages which is why I'm not asking you to assume active duty as guardians. If you choose to help me take down Malefor, it's going to be up to you."

"I'm in!" Tremor half barked, half roared and the ground thundered slightly beneath the dragon's feet.

"Well if you're going then so am I?" Candice said shoving Tremor slightly. "Someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble."

"How sweet of you Candy." The earth dragon chuckled and gave her a playful nudge.

"Well I'm already a guardian." Flame raised a paw so I have no choice. But even still, I'm in."

"And you know me." Ember giggled. "Where my Flame goes, then so do I."

"Stella?" Spyro turned to the lightning dragoness. "What about you?"

"I'll have to think about it...I'm in." She smiled with a determined nod.

"Thank you everyone." Spyro nodded graciously. "I don't know what it's gunna take, I'm glad to have you here with me."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Sparx piped up. "We follow you into dangerous situations all the time. What kind of friends would we be if we didn't do it this time?" The dragons burst out laughing.

"Alright everyone." Spyro nodded and thrust his chest out to them. "We've got some work to do before we rest up." He gathered them close into a huddle and lowered his voice. "Okay, here's my plan."


	47. Chapter 46

Cynder flew over the trees with anxious speed. Snarl and the mutant wolves struggled to hold onto her bare back as best they could. All at once Cynder came to a stop and hovered in the air. The wolves yelped in surprise as they began to slip.

"What is it?" Snarl growled as he grabbed onto her shoulder.

"We're close. I can sense him." Cynder hissed. In actuality she recognized the area where she and Spyro had been together the night before.

"How can you tell?" Snarl looked around and sniffed the air. There was definitely the scent of dragons lingering in the air.

"Because the purple dragon wields the same power I do. Therefore I can sense when he is getting closer."

"I see..." Snarl scratched his chin. "Set us down. We will proceed on foot."

Cynder dropped to the ground and the wolves slid off her back, thankful to feel the soft earth beneath their paws again. "Just don't do anything stupid this time." The black dragoness spat and flew off again.

"Good riddance." Snarl spit back at her as she disappeared over the tops of the trees. "I hope the purple one destroys you and we capture him for our master." He turned to his warriors and barked a couple of orders in their native dialogue before taking off on all fours, following Cynder's flight path.

Tremor's eyes opened calmly. "We have contacts." He reported and looked to Spyro who was laying down beneath an old fir tree. "Looks like you were right about Cynder bringing more reinforcements."

The guardians all woke up from their light slumbers and began to shake themselves awake. "How many do you count?" Spyro asked working the kink out of his neck.

"Four."

"Does that include Cynder?" Candice asked, looking from her dragon to Spyro.

"No. She touched down but I can't feel her anymore. She probably went airborne again."

"Then let's get ready." Spyro nodded. "Cynder flies pretty fast so we probably only have a few minutes."

"Then you guys had better get your tails moving." Tremor smirked.

"Don't need to tell me twice." Sparx saluted and zipped off into the trees. Flame and Ember followed after him. Stella paused and looked back at the three remaining guardians.

"Be careful you guys. We don't want this to be a catastrophe."

"Don't worry." Spyro nodded. "Everything will be just fine."

The lightning dragoness smiled. Seeing Spyro in a better frame of mind put her own at ease. She bobbed her head slightly and ducked back into the cover of the trees to catch up with Flame, Ember and Sparx.

A loud roar shook the sky above the guardians.

"She's here." Spyro said, turning his nose to the clouds above. "You two know what to do?"

"Yeah." Tremor and Candice nodded in unison.

"Alright then. Let's do this." Spyro spread his wings and leaped into the air with shocking speed.

"Dear Ancestors!" Tremor shielded himself and Candice from the dust and leaves blowing through the air. "He's really taking this seriously."

"It's for Cynder." Candice pointed out. "Why wouldn't he?"

Spyro shot up into the sky and looked around. Sure enough he spotted the large black dragoness charging straight for him. Cynder gave an angry roar and lashed out at Spyro. The purple dragon evaded and spat a bolt of lightning at her as she rushed by. Cynder somersaulted and stopped to hover several yards away from him.

"I see you've recovered fairly quickly." She said as she eyed him up and down. His faded purple scales gave a slight golden glow in the sunlight, making up for his duller appearance. The slash marks she had left were nearly invisible but she could still see the bite marks she had left. Cynder's cheeks flushed slightly as she pondered if anyone else had noticed.

"It wouldn't matter if I was fully recovered or not." Spyro smirked. "I'm gunna get my Cynder back!"

Cynder's cheeks burned even more and she gave him a toothy grin. "Then come at me if you dare."

"Don't mind if I do." Spyro growled and charged in. Cynder let out a roar and rushed forward. She slashed with her long talon and Spyro somersaulted out of the way and spat another bolt of lightning. Cynder swiveled around and fired a blast of shadow fire. Spyro tried to counter with his own fire breath but only managed to cough hard. Cynder's flames engulfed him and Spyro fell back with a painful cry.

Cynder winced at the sound and fought against the feelings in her heart. "What's wrong purple dragon? Can't use your fire power anymore?"

"Shit." Spyro cursed to himself. He had forgotten about his lost powers in the heat of the moment. Now he was aching from the burns that spread across his body. He dug down and tapped into his golden power and his body began to shine. The dead scales shed away from him, leaving his body clean from the dead skin and ash.

Cynder's eyes widened. "Impressive." She nodded. She had never known Spyro to have such a power. She opened her jaws wide and unleashed a tornado. Spyro watched as the swirling winds rushed up to meet him. At the last possible second he covered himself with his wings, using his earth element to form a protective shield. Cynder's tornado caught the ball of earth and she watched with a youthful amusement as Spyro was spun around inside the twister. Suddenly the ball rocketed out of the wind tunnel and struck her in the side. Cynder shrieked and fell towards the ground. She got her bearings and spread her wings wide to stop her fall. The wind blew through the trees, sending a chill down the spines of the other guardians. The black dragoness looked back up at Spyro who wore a superior smirk on his face.

"Not bad. You're definitely fighting with your head today. Maybe now our battle will be more interesting!" She spread her wings wide again and flung herself at Spyro. The purple dragon dodged her again but the backwash knocked him off balance. He tumbled head over heals and spun to get himself upright. Cynder banked hard and rushed at him again. This time Spyro was ready. He beat his wings hard as she shot by like a sleek, black missile. The backwash hit again and Spyro gritted his teeth against the extreme pressure.

Cynder came back again for another pass and Spyro did his best to hide his smile. As she whisked by, Cynder noticed the look on Spyro's face and her eyes widened. As she turned her head to look back at him, Spyro fired an earth bullet. The wind propelled the attack even faster and struck Cynder across the face. The black dragoness roared in anger and crashed into the ground.

"Ooh." Spyro winced. He watched as the cloud of dust began to settle.

Cynder got up and shook the stars and checkers out of her head. Spyro's attack hadn't hurt her so much as it had surprised her. Her cheek throbbed from the blow and she craned her long neck up at the purple dragon and gave a menacing hiss. He was going to have to pay for that one; friend or not. She rose to her feet smashing the broken trees around her with her long tail. With a mighty beat of her wings she was in the air again and hovering before Spyro.

"That was a good shot." She growled angrily. "But you should know better than to hit a female."

"Hey, you started it." Spyro pointed a punishing claw at her.

"Spyro..." Cynder growled in a lower tone, indicating that she was not happy about what he had done.

The purple dragon gulped nervously. Cynder's eyes began to glow red and the wind began to howl.

"What the hell!" Tremor shouted and covered Candice with a wing to protect her from flying debris.

"I knew Cynder was no push-over!" Candice called over the noise. "But she's far stronger than I ever thought possible!"

Snarl gritted his teeth and shielded his face from the stinging wind. Overhead he could see the black dragoness facing off with the purple dragon. He and his pack had been searching for the other dragons that were accompanying Spyro. Their scent had gotten stronger and now with the wind blowing so hard it was unmistakably strong.

Cynder sensed the wolves presence and her eyes locked with Spyro. The purple dragon nodded in response.

"How about we stop this whole I'm-weak routine then. I know you're stronger than that."

Cynder was a bit puzzled by his sudden proposal. She had been expecting him to call out the other guardians for help. She knew they were around. But why weren't they jumping in to help him?

"Very well then." Cynder nodded, going along with his plan. "Let's settle this like dragons should."

Spyro smiled and his body began to glow. Much to Cynder's surprise he summoned the power of convexity. She followed his lead a bit unsure of what he was up to. Spyro focused the power into a concentrated orb around his body and nodded for Cynder to do the same. Cynder emulated his actions and growled indicating she was ready.

"That's better." Spyro smiled and turned his head to the sky and let out a loud roar.

Down below, Candice pushed out from Tremor's wing. "That's the signal!"

"Then hang on tight Candy!"

"If you insist." Candice threw her body on top of Tremor's and wrapped her front limbs around his waist. The earth guardian jumped into the air, carrying the dragoness with him and slammed his paws deep into the ground.

Cynder's attention was grabbed by another loud roar from below. She looked down as all the trees in the surrounding area were smashed together, clearing out several acres of forest, leaving nothing but open soil.

"What is this!" Snarl bellowed as he and his warriors struggled to maintain their balance as the ground beneath them shook. The mutant wolves yelped as the mass of tree trunks rushed at them. "Damned dragons!" Snarl cursed and swung his weapon, shattering an oncoming tree.

"What the hell is going on?" The black dragoness shouted in her mind and looked nervously at Spyro.

"Get ready Cynder!" Tremor shouted as he pulled his paws out of the holes. Candice began to glow with ice energy and with a brilliant flash, the entire area was frozen over. Both dragons jumped in unison. There was a thunderous crack as the ground and ice split. Candice hit the ground first, turning all the shards of ice up towards the two dragons. Tremor hit the ground and catapulted the shards and pillars of rock up at Spyro and Cynder.

Cynder's eyes widened and she hissed. She tightened her stomach muscles and the convexity around her began to harden into a physical form. The projectiles smashed against the barrier, rattling her on the inside. The missiles of stone and ice arched high into the air and came back down on on top of the four dragons. Cynder felt her barrier jostle again and watched as the jagged slabs of debris fell towards Tremor and Candice. Cynder held her breath as both guardians stood their ground. Just before they were hit, the two young dragons spun in opposite directions, their tails smashing through the onslaught of falling debris.

When the thunder of falling stones and ice died away, the dragons all looked at one another. Cynder looked at Spyro in surprise. Tremor and Candice exchanged respectful nods. Neither of them could have believed how well they moved together.

It was then that Flame, Ember and Stella burst from the edges of the open forest. Stella charged a concentrated ball of electricity and fired it across the field. Tremor and Candice watched as the ball banked around them and struck the edge of the trees behind them. There was a loud howl and three wolves leaped high into the air.

Tremor's eyes grew wide as they landed hard several yards away from him and Candice. The mutants drew their weapons and stepped forward. Candice hissed and took a step forward. Immediately Tremor shoved her aside and put himself between them. He immediately began to glow green. He spread his wings wide and let loose an earth shattering roar, displaying his power.

"Tremor!" Candice gasped, seeing his extremely defensive reaction to their presence.

"It's more of them." Tremor replied as Ember, Flame and Stella bounded up.

"More?" Ember asked curiously, staring at the wolves.

"The wolf that nearly killed me." Tremor's claws dug into the earth. "He was just like these ones here." The other guardians all stared in shock at the wolves that were slowly approaching, jowls dripping with blood lust.

"Tremor..." Candice took a step closer to him. "Are you sure you're okay enough to fight them?"

"There's no way we can't fight them." Tremor narrowed his eyes as the lead ice-mutant. "They'll kill us if we try and avoid a confrontation. They won't go down easy, so be on your guard."

"Alright then." Candice nodded and she began to glow with ice energy. "I'm with you."

"Me too." Stella nodded and fixed her eyes on the wolf with golden-blonde hairs, bristling with electricity. As scared as she was to face something that could have easily killed her friend she was also excited for the challenge.

"There's no way I'm going to let them take my Flame from me!" Ember hissed and stopped forward, flames sprouting from beneath her paws.

Flame hesitated a moment. He took up position beside Ember without a word. The pink dragoness glanced at him, expecting him to say something. She noticed the expression on his face and she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Flame normally went into battle looking cool and confident but now he looked like his mind was plagued by outside influences.

"Flame?" Ember leaned in to get his attention.

"I'm fine." The fire guardian replied without breaking his gaze from the approaching canines. Ember was about to speak when Tremor turned his head.

"Stay focused! Don't let your guards down even for a moment with these guys."

No sooner had he spoken than the lead wolf lunged forward. He slammed into Tremor, sending the earth dragon tumbling across the ground, and chased after him.

"Tremor!" Candice shouted, whirling around in horror.

"Go!" Stella shouted and lunged for her target.

The real battle had just begun.


	48. Chapter 47

Cynder watched as the wolves charged her friends. Her instincts told her to help them but discipline restrained her.

"Looks like your friends have their hands full." She looked back at Spyro with worry in her eyes.

"They can handle themselves." Spyro nodded. "Right now it's just you and me!" He spread his wings wide, blazing with convexity.

"Very well then. If you insist!" Cynder followed his lead and the two charged each other. Cynder swung with her talons thinking that Spyro would dodge her again. Much to her surprise the purple dragon met her head on with his own claws. There was a loud crash and a bolt of convexity sparked between them. In that instant, Cynder caught a glimpse of Spyro. He was smiling at her. It was then she realized what he was up to. He lips curled into a mischievous grin and struck again. Spyro countered with his claws again and another bolt flashed between them. Spyro whirled around and Cynder jerked her head back as his tail spade just missed her. She spun and Spyro cartwheeled over her massive tail as it brushed beneath him. Cynder slashed with her talons again and Spyro rolled over the top of her arm. He opened his mouth wide and Cynder saw what was coming. She ducked under the bolt of lightning into a somersault and whipped her tail. Her blade whistled past Spyro and he felt a chill run down his spine. The only time he heard that sound was when she was being serious.

Spyro opened his jaws again and fired several chains of lighting. Cynder squalled in surprised and banked hard to avoid getting struck. Spyro's aim was getting more precise. He reared his head back and unleashed a spray of lightning bolts. The black dragoness shrouded herself in convexity and the bolts spattered off the barrier, striking the ground below.

Down on the ground the guardians ignored the shower of lighting as they squared off with the mutant wolves. Flame was the first to charge in. He lunged for the wolf's throat and slashed with his claws. The wolf side-stepped and brought down his bladed weapon. Flame jumped to the side as the blade smashed into the ground where he had been standing a split second before. The wolf barked and a jagged pillar of ice burst from underneath him. Flame rolled away as one of the sharp edges cut his side open.

Ember stepped in and smashed the pillar with her paws and swung her tail. The wolf jumped back as flames filled the air. Ember roared and breathed another wave of fire at the wolf's feet. The canine staggered back trying to avoid burning its pads on the hot ground. Flame leaped over Ember's head and spat a fireball. The ground beneath the wolf erupted in a pillar of fire and he fell to the ground. He looked at the two fire breathers in surprise as they approached him, with wings and tails twitching in anger.

The wolf inhaled and breathed a cloud of ice. Flame and Ember dodged and landed on either side of the wolf. Their jaws opened wide as fire belted from the back of their throats. The wolf watched as the flames spread until he was completely surrounded. With an evil grin he breathed another cloud of ice. The ring of fire disappeared and was replaced with a ring of ice.

"What the hell?" Ember gasped. The wolf swung his blade, shattering the ice and sending out a spray of shards. The fire breathers took to the air to avoid the attack. Several yards away the other combatants jumped out of the way of the spikes.

Ember's cheeks puffed out and she spit a shower of flaming darts. The tiny fireballs peppered the wolf, causing him to growl in irritation. Flame took the chance and pounced onto he wolf's back. The beast snarled angrily as the fire guardian bit into his frozen mane, shattering the protective layer of ice that covered his fur. Ember watched as the canine struggled to throw Flame off and breathed fire across the ground again. The wolf let out a startled yelp and started to falter. Flame beat his wings hard, pulling the beast back and slamming him into the ground. The wolf's head rocked from the impact, briefly stunning him. Ember sprang into the air and spewed a wave of fire. The wolf's eyes grew wide and he unleashed a beam of ice energy back up at the dragoness. Ember struggled against the powerful beam and beat her wings harder. The wolf was far stronger than she had expected. There was a loud roar beside her as Flame added his own fire breath to the attack. The flames burned until they were white-hot. The fire breathers let loose a mighty roar and pressed harder. The wolf let out an agonized howl as the flames engulfed his body. The inferno spread across the field, incinerating anything in its path. The other guardians barely had enough time to get out of the way.

Flame and Ember landed on the scorched ground, the ashes crunching beneath their feet. They both gasped for breath as they watched the fire burn into the ground.

"That was intense." Ember whistled.

"I know." Flame muttered and turned to give her a loving nuzzle. "Are you okay?"

Before Ember could answer a shower of ice blades shot from the fire. Flame cursed and tackled Ember to the ground.

"Flame!" Ember cried when she saw the spikes sticking out of his back.

"I'm alright..." He winced, giving her his goofy smile to try and calm her down. Just then a hand reached down and grabbed the fire guardian by the throat. Flame coughed and struggled against the wolf's grip as he was lifted off his dragoness. Ember was on her feet in an instant. She lunged for the wolf and slammed her tail across his face. The burned monster staggered back and Ember unleashed another wave of fire. The wolf held his hand up to deflect the blast . Ember roared furiously as she forced more power into her flames. The wolf stepped back once then reached forward through the dragoness's fire. Ember screamed as the mutant grabbed her face in his burned, bloody hand.

"Ember!" Flame wheezed as he watched her get lifted off the ground. Ember struggled to free herself but the wolf was slowly crushing her face, suffocating her. The canine smiled as he looked at the two fire breathers. His fur had been burned away completely, leaving nothing but bloody, blackened, peeling flesh. He released Flame and jammed his knee hard into his gut. Flame's eyes widened as he felt the wind rush out of his body. His body sailed through the air and hit the ground hard.

With the male fire breather out of the way the wolf was free to do as he pleased to the dragoness. He struck Ember in the stomach with a massive fist. The dragoness tried to cry out but her screams were muffled by the fist that was closed around her head. The wolf struck her again and again, each time getting the same muffled cry.

"E-Ember..." Flame groaned as he struggled to lift his head from the ground. He could see tears running down her neck, mixing in with the wolf's blood that tainted her once beautiful pink-scaled body.

At last the wolf tossed her away. Ember coughed hard when she hit the ground. When she opened her eyes, everything was a blur. Her stomach was badly bruised and she could feel the damage spreading throughout her insides. She coughed hard and tasted blood at the back of her throat. Slowly she got to her feet and faced the mutant monster before her.

The wolf only sneered at her. He dropped his weapon and curled his claws into ah half-closed fist. Ember watched as the wolf's icy energy formed inside his palm. The energy solidified into a massive jagged spear and Ember saw what was coming. She struggled to lift her head but her vision was still blurry. She spread her wings wide, but the wolf wasn't buying her bluff. He could see from the way her head was swaying slightly that she hadn't fully recovered.

The canine raised the spear and took aim for Ember. The dragoness ground her teeth, waiting for the release. The wolf's smile turned into a snarl of defiance and hate as he hurled the spear with killing intent. Ember gasped and closed her eyes awaiting the end. The wolf's cry was drowned out by another. There was a hot rush of wind and the sound of something screeching. When Ember dared to open her eyes they instantly grew wide as saucers.

Standing before her was Flame. His head was reared back towards her and in his jaws was the spear. He had caught, the tip only inches away from her face. But that wasn't what shocked the dragoness the most. It was the glowing red, fire-like markings that covered his body.


	49. Chapter 48

Tremor rolled and bounced across the ground. The blow from the attacking

wolf had surprised him but it wasn't as strong as he had expected. The earth

dragon heard an angry snarl behind him. The wolf pounced on him and slammed a

fist into his gut. Tremor immediately felt the blood rush up through his throat and out

his mouth. The wolf drew its blade and raised it high to quickly finish him off.

Just as he was about to bring the earth guardian's life to an end, a shadow

blocked out the sun. A split second later Candice came crashing down on top of the

wolf. The weapon struck the ground next to Tremor's head and the wolf howled in

pain as the dragoness sank her long teeth into the back of his skull. The force from

the hit knocked the wolf off balance and Tremor took the chance to wrap his

clubbed tail around the wolf's leg. The canine yelped in surprise and staggered

forward. Candice sprang off the wolf's back, kicking him down in the process.

The wolf hit the dirt and whirled on the ice dragoness. He lunged at her and

Candice somersaulted in the air. The wolf hit the ground with the ice dragoness

latched onto his back again. He shook himself but only succeeded in helping

Candice tear off a massive chunk of his flesh.

Tremor didn't waste any more time. He was on his feet in a flash and chasing

off after the wolf and his dragoness.

At last the wolf managed to get a hold on Candice's tail. This proved to be a

mistake. The dragoness pulled hard against his grip, pulling her tail free and

severing the wolf's fingers. The canine howled in pain and clutched at the bleeding

stubs. Candice shifted her footing on the wolf's back and raised a paw before

sinking her talons deep into the wolf's clavicle. The wolf bucked, trying to get her off

only to have his collarbone snap as she pulled her talons back.

"Candice!" Tremor shouted as he lowered his head to the ground and

charged forward. The dragoness sprang off of the mutant's back and into the air as

Tremor slammed full force into the wolf's stomach, sending him into the air. Tremor

slammed a paw down and a pillar of stone burst up from the ground, knocking the

canine higher. The earth dragon watched as Candice shot straight up and then

dropped down on the wolf's head, propelling him into the ground. Tremor jumped

out of the way as a shower of ice spikes pummeled the ground.

He stared hard as the cloud of dust began to settle. His eyes narrowed as he

saw a figure rise up in front of him. The wolf looked up at the ice dragoness then

back to Tremor, debating which it wanted to attack first.

The two guardian's muscles tensed as the wolf slowly reached behind its

back. It took hold of several of Candice's ice spikes and yanked them out. The ice

dragoness cringed in disgust at the sight before her. These wolves weren't mutants.

Not even monsters. They were abominations. She glanced at Tremor whose focus

was locked on the wolf. She couldn't begin to fathom how he had even survived a

brawl with one of these creatures.

Without warning the wolf flung the spikes up at Candice. The dragoness

shrieked in surprise and twisted herself sideways, letting the spikes miss her by the

merest of inches. The wolf yanked another spike from his arm and lunged for

Tremor. The earth guardian jumped back as the wolf swung wildly at him, panting

like a rabid animal. The wolf swung again, slashing Tremor across his chest,

reopening the puncture wound he had received from his last battle. Tremor

staggered back and ducked as the spike sailed over his head and impaled a tree

trunk at the edge of the forest.

Suddenly there was loud crash. Tremor looked to his left to see a shower of

ice shards coming right at them from Flame and Ember's direction. Tremor jumped

high as did his opponent. The wolf yanked the last of the spikes free and hurled

them at the earth guardian. Tremor back-winged to duck under them but one struck

him across his brow. The blow stunned him and he hit the ground hard. The wolf

landed and towered over the earth guardian. Tremor shook his head, and stared

up at the wolf, frozen in fear. The wolf drew his weapon again and brought it up to

his shoulder.

Once again Candice came in from above, but this time the wolf was waiting

for her. In a swift rapid motion the wolf whirled around, catching the the dragoness

in the side of the head with the flat of his blade.

"Candice!" Tremor shouted as he watched her body roll across the ground.

The wolf ignored him and sprang into the air, blade raised high, intent on delivering

the finishing blow. The bright green energy burst from Tremor's body again. He

shot like a rocket across the ground and jumped between Candice and the wolf.

The wolf bellowed with glee, hoping to finish them both with one strike. Tremor fired

an earth missile as the wolf thrust his blade out. The weapon shattered as well as

the bones in the wolf's hand.

The canine staggered back giving the dragons the moment they needed.

Candice was on her feet in the blink of an eye and sprang into the air. Tremor

shrouded himself in stone and barreled towards the bewildered wolf. The mutant

jumped over him and spat a burst of ice at him as he rushed past. Tremor banked

hard to avoid being frozen in place and burst free from his protective shield. Just

before the wolf hit the ground, Tremor sent a pillar of earth shooting up and into the

wolf's gut. The canine howled in pain as was sent high into the air. Candice

grabbed him in midair and bit down on his ear. She spun him around and flung him

even higher before spitting another barrage of icicles. The ice guardian looked

back down as Tremor flew up to meet her. He reached a paw out and she wrapped

her tail around it. With a tremendous heave she swung the earth dragon up after

the impaled wolf. Tremor beat his wings harder and whisked past the bloody body

above him. He watched as the wolf slowed its ascent and began to fall back to the

ground. A second later, Candice flew up and the two took hold of each other's

paws. With a loud flap of their wings, the two guardians shot towards the ground.

The wolf had a good amount of distance ahead of them, watching helplessly as

they prepared their final strike.

The air around the guardians began to swirl with earth and ice energy as

they spiraled downwards at an alarming speed. The two of them nodded to one

another and let out a thunderous roar. They became a glowing mass of

energy as they neared their target. The wolf hit the ground hard, leaving a deep

impaction in the ground. A split second later the two dragons cannoned into the

wolf. The ground beneath the mutant's body rippled then exploded in a burst of ice.

Inside the ice, Candice held Tremor close to her, his head resting on her

chest. She had never used this move before or even dreamed of combining her

fury attack with Tremor's meteor-strike he had come up with during their early

training days. She exhaled and Tremor's body began to shake. The solidified ice

cracked then shattered. The two dragons caught themselves and hovered just over

the wolf's carcass. When the beast didn't move they both looked at one another,

exchanging loving gazes.

Just then the wolf's leg twitched. The guardians jumped in surprise and

hovered back a couple feet.

"No way!" Candice gasped as she watched the monster struggle to rise.

Tremor's eyes narrowed at the wolf for a brief moment before something else

caught his attention.

"Move!" He shouted. The inferno Flame and Ember had created washed

over the ground beneath their feet. The wolf's agonized cries were drowned out by

the roaring flames that scorched his body. When the blaze subsided, Tremor and

Candice both breathed a sigh of relief. As they settled down to the ground, Candice

cooled the earth beneath their paws.

"I think you were crazy to take one of these things on by yourself." Candice

said as she caught her breath.

"I had no idea they were this tough until after it was too late." Tremor

protested. But then his cocky grin returned. "But would you love me any less if I

wasn't crazy?"

Candice just shook her head with a smile. "You doofus." She leaned in

towards him and Tremor moved his lips closer to hers.

Suddenly the wolf sprang up with an eerie howl. Candice screamed and

Tremor jumped in front of her. He spun around, smashing his clubbed tail into the

wolf's head. The canine fell backwards, blood seeping from the holes in his face.

Tremor slammed his paw down into the ground. A fissure was torn open and

swallowed the wolf up. With a sweep of his tail, Tremor closed the cavern up and

spat on the site.

"And that will be the end of that." He growled. Candice was still trembling

behind him, her eyes still locked on the ground where the wolf had fallen through.

Tremor sighed and nuzzled her cheek, breaking her from her trance. "It's okay." He

whispered. "He's not gunna hurt you anymore." Candice buried her face into his

neck. She wanted to cry but couldn't find a reason to.

"Tremor. Don't ever leave me."

The earth guardian nodded and draped his wing around her to help console

her. He closed his eyes and breathed softly on her neck. It was something he and

his sister used to do when the other one was scared and it seemed to calm the ice

dragoness just as well. If there weren't two battles going on around them and one

over their heads, this would have been a perfect moment for them to share.

Suddenly something snapped inside Tremor's mind. He jerked away from

Candice and his eyes began to scan the area

"Tremor?" The ice dragoness looked at him worriedly. There was something

strange about the look in his eyes. They looked almost feral. "Tremor, what's

wrong?" She moved close to him and tried to follow his eyes.

"I...I don't know." Tremor replied. He couldn't really control his body for some

reason. "My body...It's just moving on its own!"

"What? But how can..."

"Tremor!" The earth dragon shuddered and his eyes began to shine bright

yellow-green. His aura burst from his body and Candice stepped back as Gaia

stood before them.

"S-Sis?" Tremor groaned. He was beginning to feel slightly nauseous.

"It's him! He's here!"

"W-what?" Tremor groaned as he started to straighten up. "Who? Who's

here?"

"There!" Gaia turned and pointed across the battlefield. Tremor and Candice

squinted at the trees she was pointing to. They didn't see anything at first, but then

some movement in the shadows caught their attention. "There! Did you see?"

"Yeah." Tremor nodded. "Another wolf."

"Not just another wolf." Gaia shook her head as Tremor's aura began to fade

away. "He's the one."

"The one?" Candice looked at Tremor. His twin's voice came from the fading

aura. She was a bit confused by what Gaia was saying. "What does that mean?"

"He's the one." Tremor repeated. He tucked his chin down and puffed his

chest out, his eyes narrowing as they watched Snarl darting in between the

shadows of the trees. Tremor's teeth ground angrily and Candice saw how his

brilliant green scales darkened. "He's the one...who killed Gaia."


	50. Chapter 49

Stella leaped high over her opponent's head. The wolf swiped at her but missed. The dragoness landed and swung her tail, sending a surge of electric energy at the wolf. The canine caught the orb and smiled. Stella only smiled back. The wolf hurled the lightning orb and Stella caught it in the arch of her tail and swung it back at the wolf, adding more power this time. The wolf caught the orb yet again, spun around and flung it back, tripling the orbs output. Stella saw what was coming and jumped backwards into the air. She caught the energy ball in her front paws and backflipped before sending the ball right back. The wolf barked excitedly and extended a hand to catch the orb.

It was then that Stella pulled her trump card. She clicked her teeth together and sparks crackled all around her jaws. The wolf yelped in surprise as he found himself bound in an electrical current. Each time he had made contact with the orb, the dragoness had drawn him deeper into her trap. Stella spread her wings wide and flexed her membranes, intensifying the electro-magnetic field holding the wolf in place. The orb detonated and the shock wave send the lightning dragoness tumbling back through the air.

The dragoness smiled as she watched the wolf pick himself up off the ground. The beast glared at her. He was not amused having been tricked into a false game of catch.

Stella back-winged and and opened her jaws slightly, allowing her white teeth to glow with electricity. The wolf's muscles tensed up as he waited for the dragoness to attack. The tiny bolts crackling between the guardian's teeth focused into a larger ball. The wolf's ears pinned back expecting another blast of lightning. A loud shriek ripped from Stella's throat causing the beast to howl from the piercing pain. A split second later a barrage of ice spikes punctured his back from across the battlefield. The lighting mutant staggered forward. onto one knee, stunned by the blow.

Stella smiled to herself. "Conductors..." She muttered and unleashed the concentrated energy. The bolt struck the spikes and the warrior squalled in pain. He dug his claws into the ground and his fur stood on end. With a shudder he began to glow with electric energy. Stella's eyes widened in surprise as she felt her own power being pushed back. She opened her jaws wider and forced more energy out. The two combatants locked eyes for a brief moment before giving another hard push. The forces combusted and sent both wolf and dragoness tumbling head over heals.

The wolf was the first to recover. He scrambled to his feet and charged across the field, lightning cracking angrily each time his feet hit the ground. Stella sensed the coming assault and her eyes snapped open. With a furious roar she rolled to her feet and her body exploded with lightning bolts. Her lightning manifested into the guardian's towering adult form. There was a loud crack as the two supercharged warriors clashed in tremendous display of power.

Stella ducked under the wolf's claws and lashed out with her own talons. The wolf jerked his head to the side but Stella's talons still managed to leave three marks on his cheek. The dragoness was knocked to the side by the beast's retaliating elbow-strike. She felt her ribs crack from the blow but pushed the pain to the back of her mind. The manifested dragoness swung a paw and missed the wolf. The canine jumped backwards right into Stella's trap. The dragoness swung her tail, bringing a wave of electricity into the ice shards that remained in the wolf's back. The wolf howled, as he felt his body begin to tear itself apart from the inside out.

Just when the lightning guardian thought she had gotten the upper hand the wolf turned on her with furious, yellow eyes. His teeth flashed with dark energy and his claws began to glow with dark lightning.

"What the hell?" Stella gasped. The mutant struck the ground and sent a dark pulse into the dragoness. Stella screamed and her legs buckled under her, numb from the shock. The wolf leaped into the air, his beastly form growing larger as his energy increased. "Son of a!" Stella rolled away as the wolf brought his fist slamming into the ground where she had just been a moment before. The dark magic burst from the wolf's fist and struck the dragoness in the side. Stella cried out as she tumbled across the ground.

The beast barked angrily and lunged for the dragoness's throat, teeth dripping with saliva, thirsting for blood. Stella summoned all her strength back into her legs and sprang as high as she could into the air. The wolf looked up in time to get showered with lightning bolts. He yelped and thrashed on the ground.

Stella didn't relent. She dug down deep and roared again. The chains of lightning began to focus into one concentrated bolt. The wolf's hair stood on end as he began to go berserk. Stella's bolts sprayed off his fur as he summoned the dark lightning from it's well of power.

The lightning guardian's eyes grew wide as saucers as she watched the abomination swat her bolt back at her. Stella screamed as she felt her own attack overwhelm her senses. Her scales and flesh began to burn from the searing heat. There was a brilliant flash of light and a deafening explosion . The wolf crouched down and shielded himself from the blinding light. When the glow died away he looked around curiously. The dragoness was nowhere in sight. Lifting his nose to the sky he took a series of whiffs only to have his attention grabbed by an angry roar from behind. The canine whirled around and stared across the battlefield. His eyes locked on his pack-mate and the two fire breathing dragons that were standing before him.

Ember stared at Flame in horror. The fire guardian help the spear in his jaws, inches from her face. She wasn't as terrified of the weapon as she was of the guardian himself. His body was covered in angry, red-glowing, flame-like markings. There was a loud hiss as the spear burned away between Flame's jaws.

"F-Flame?" Ember stammered.

"It's alright." Flame assured her without turning to look her in the eye. "I promise."

"But...Flame....H-how?"

The fire guardian turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Do you trust me?"

Ember was silent for a second then nodded. "I trust you."

Flame smiled. "Good..."

The burned wolf lunged for the fire breathers. Flame whirled around and slammed a paw into the wolf's throat. The beast staggered back, gagging and clutching at his neck. Flame waited for the deformed mutant to get his bearings again was interrupted by a howl from behind. The fire guardian turned in time to see the lightning wolf Stella had been fighting charging across the field.

"Look out!" Ember shouted and leaped to intercept the beast. The pink dragoness tackled the lightning mutant in midair and the two rolled over each other, clawing and slashing madly.

"Ember!" Flame hollered. The wolf he had struck slammed a heavy hand down on top of him, pressing him to the ground. Flame groaned from the pain and gritted his teeth. The markings burned into the wolf's flesh, causing the canine to yank his hand back. Flame struck the monster across the face, sending him bouncing across the ground and charged after the other wolf.

The lightning warrior managed to pull Ember off of him and brought her up to meet his eyes. The dragoness glared defiantly and clawed at his arm, tearing it to shreds. The wolf only winced and began to tighten his grip on the dragoness's neck. Ember coughed hard as she struggled for air. Her world was beginning to spin and her vision was fading fast.

Just as she was about to pass out Flame's roar brought her back. The blazing red dragon barreled into the wolf's chest, shattering the bones in his chest wall. The wolf released Ember as his body skid across the ground. Flame moved to catch his dragoness in his forearms but only managed to get knocked onto his back. Ember coughed and sputtered as Flame held her close to him.

"Are you alright?" Flame asked worriedly his marking beginning to fade away.

"I've been better." Ember half giggled, half coughed. "Thanks for the catch."

Flame chuckled. "You know I'll always be there to catch you when you fall."

"That's why I love you." Ember smiled flirtatiously at him and rolled off his chest.

Several yards away the lightning wolf got to his feet. He clutched at his burning chest and the scorched mark on his chest. At the same time the scalded wolf staggered to his feet. He was beginning to wear down but not to the point where he wasn't able to fight anymore. Both wolves looked at one another, taking their cues. They howled as they rushed across the field.

"Here we go again!" Ember called as Flame's marking lit up his body again.

Snarl watched as the battle raged on above him. Spyro and Cynder had been matching each other blow for blow without showing any signs of wearing down. The Alpha growled in irritation.

"How are we supposed to chapter the purple one when she's keeping him all the way up there?"

Suddenly the earth shook and his world went spinning out of control. After several moments of lying on the ground, staring up at the dragons above, he returned to his senses. The pack leader propped himself up and clutched at his jaw. It was warm with blood and his big fang was missing along with several other teeth.

"I don't think they are your biggest problem." An angry voice came from the darkness of the forest. Snarl jumped to his feet and grabbed his weapon that lay on the ground beside him. Just then the ground burst up and grabbed hold of his blade. The Alpha barked in surprise and tried to yank it free. With a mighty tug he wrenched it from the ground. No sooner had he lifted his head than he was struck with an earth missile and sent flying backwards through a cluster of trees. The sound of snapping tree trunks hurt his ears almost as much as the stones, dirt and debris falling down on top of him.

Snarl shook the stars from his head and growled angrily. Whomever was challenging him was going to regret it soon. With an angry growl he burst free from the pile of rubble and scanned the forest for his opponent.

"Who's there! Show yourself." He tightened his grip on his weapon and bared his bloody fangs. It was then that Tremor stepped out into the open; a heated glare spread across his face. Beside him emerged a pale blue dragoness with a royal-purple crest and fierce violet eyes. "You!" Snarl pointed his blade at Tremor. Candice looked between the two of them in surprise.

"Oh, so you recognize me?" Tremor cocked his head to the side, keeping his eyes locked on the wolf.

"It feels like I have seen you before." Snarl growled and climbed across the wreckage. "But I'm not sure where..." Without warning, Tremor charged the Alpha wolf. He slammed into Snarl leaving Candice watch in shock as the two bit ad slashed at one another. At last Tremor got the upper hand when he struck the Alpha across the face with his clubbed tail. Snarl stared up at the earth dragon with a punch-drunk expression on his face.

"You were the one who killed my sister!" Tremor snapped as he pinned the Alpha's shoulders to the ground. "You took away the only family I had left!"

"Tremor!" Candice called as she ran to catch up to them. Her muscles tensed as she stood ready to jump in and help if he required it.

Snarl looked up at the earth dragon staring down at him with pure hatred burning in his eyes. It was then that Tremor began to glow with green energy again. His eyes flashed bright yellow-green and Snarl began to recognize his face. The memories came flooding back to him; the invasion of the underground dragon city, the capturing of the black dragons there, and the sight of the young earth dragoness fighting against his pack-mates.

A smile spread across the Alpha's mouth as he recalled the event. "Ah yes, I remember seeing a dragon that looked a lot like you. She killed a lot of my warriors."

"Good!" Tremor spat on the wolf's forehead. Snarl ignored the gesture and his smile continued to grow.

"You know, she was a good fighter, but she wasn't that good."

"What?" Tremor jerked his head back as if he'd been hit.

"For being so capable of combat she sure didn't have any knowledge of her surroundings."

"What are you talking about?" Tremor demanded and dug his claws into the wolf's flesh.

Snarl winced slightly but continued to smile. "I'm talking about when I killed. her. She was so caught up in fighting my warriors that she never saw me coming." Tremor was frozen, speechless. The thought of seeing his sister laying dead at his feet returned to him. Snarl noticed the way the earth dragon had fallen silent and gave a mocking laugh. "After the first blow, she didn't put up much of a fight. In fact, she didn't really fight back at all."

"Tremor! Don't listen to him!" Candice shouted. She could feel her own temper rising and could only imagine how high the earth guardian's was going.

"It was basically like butchering a sheep." Snarl laughed. "Except this sheep didn't have wool and had a longer tail. Which, by the way, you may have noticed I hacked in a few places to make it shorter." The wolf laughed again and Tremor felt his heart pound against his chest wall. It hurt. It hurt to breath, and it hurt to think about his lost sister. Snarl's laughter grew louder and the earth dragon's consciousness began to slip away. Snarl continued to taunt the young dragon as he watched his transformation. The dragon's scales began to fade until they were a dark olive green. The scales on top of Tremor's head turned jet-black and his grip on Snarl tightened.

"Tremor!" Candice shouted. She couldn't take Snarl's laughter any more. She too a step forward then froze when Tremor let out an agonized roar. The earth dragon struck the wolf across the face. Snarl felt his cheekbone crack but continued to laugh.

"Shut up!" Tremor bellowed and struck the wolf again. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" With each cry he would strike the wolf again and again. He could barely breathe anymore, his mind felt numb. His whole body felt numb. All he could feel was the pain as the laughter continued.

"Tremor stop!" Candice rushed up to him and tried to pry him off of Snarl.

"Get off me!" Tremor fumed and threw his dragoness off. Candice flew back and slammed hard against a tree. The trunk shook and the leaves fell all around her. The ice guardian struggled to hold onto consciousness. She watched as Tremor's complexion grew darker and darker, until his scales were nearly all black. The memory of Dark Spyro flashed into her mind and suddenly brought her back to reality. The dragoness was on her feet in an instant.

Tremor continued to pound away at the snickering Alpha wolf. His paws were covered in blood and Snarl was beginning to feel the pain of his injuries. The earth dragon pressed his sharp claws into the wolf's neck and leaned down until his nose was nearly touching the wolf's. Snarl coughed as the air flow to his lungs began to staunch.

"Go ahead." Tremor growled. "Try and laugh now."

"Tremor! That's enough!" Candice tackled him off of Snarl and the two rolled across the ground leaving the wolf to cough and sputter.

"Get off of me Candice!" Tremor roared and tried to shake her off of him, but this time the dragoness held on tight. "Let go!"

"Never!" The dragoness shouted as Tremor's elbow caught her in the face.

"Leave me alone! I have to kill him! He killed Gaia! He killed my sister!" It took a moment for Candice to finally get the upper hand on Tremor. She pinned his arm to his side and locked her hind legs around his, holding him in place as she struggled to free himself from her grasp and go after the wolf again.

"I won't let you do this Tremor! I won't let you lose yourself for your sister's sake!"

"I thought you were my friend!" Tremor shouted furiously and his struggling became more violent. "How can you side with that bastard! He killed Gaia! My sister and your friend! How could you!" As the earth dragon continued to struggle the ground began to shake.

"What the hell is going on?" Ember shouted over the thunder of the shaking earth. All around, cracks in the ground began to open up, threatening to consume everyone in the area.

"It feels like Tremor again!" Flame gasped as he leaped into the air and beat his wings to stabilize himself. He looked down at the two mutant wolves struggling to stand on the rocking earth. The rocks that burst up from the ground knocked them off balance. The fire breathers saw their chance and opened their jaws wide. Ember released a white-hot wave of fire that melted the rocks onto the startled wolves. The beasts yelped and howled in pain as they were burned alive. Flame charged up a blast of red energy `Ember dove out of the way as Flame unleashed his attack. The wolves cries were drowned out by the deafening explosion. The blast tore the ground up beneath him and he dove to help Ember get airborne. The two fire breathers panted heavily as they stared down at the smoldering crater beneath them. There was no sign of the mutant wolves at all.

Off to the side, Tremor continued to struggle against Candice's grip. The thrust his head back as his cries for revenge grew louder. Candice cringed against the harsh noise. "Damn it Tremor!" She cursed as she felt him begin to slip free from her grasp. "He's so distraught he's gong to destroy everything!" She shouted in her mind. The dragoness had only one other option she could think of to stop him.

Just as he was about to escape her hold on him, Candice pounced on top of him and pinned his head to the ground. Before the earth dragon could react she bit down hard on the base of his neck. The earth guardian's eyes widened from the sudden sensation of pain. He froze for moment, paralyzed by the dragoness's actions A split second later there was a loud snap. Tremor's pupils diluted and his world turned pitch black.

Candice released him from her jaws and let his limp body fall to the ground. His blood stained the rim of her mouth and tainted her taste buds.

"Thanks for the help." Snarl chuckled. "You'd make a decent wolf warrior."

Candice gave him a cold glare. "Don't flatter yourself." She spat a small barrage of icy darts at him and peppered him generously. Snarl growled in vexation and collapsed to his knees. "I can't blame Tremor for wanting to spread your carcass all over the ground. What you wolves have done to us dragons...what you in particular, have done to him...is unforgivable..."

"So why spare my life now?" Snarl sneered and leered at the ice dragoness with sinister, yellow eyes.

"Because I would never want to see Tremor lose himself for something as meaningless as revenge. I won't sit by idly and watch him be torn apart by hatred." Candice moved closer to Tremor's body and spread her wings wide. "I suggest you get out of here while you can. Or I'll change my mind and end your life myself."

Snarl just laughed. Candice thought he was about to go on the attack again but much to her surprise the wolf turned and ran out to the field. The dragoness sighed. She suddenly felt exhausted as she lay down beside Tremor and curled herself around him. She knew she had done the right thing by stopping him. "So why do I feel so guilty about it?" She muttered under her breath. She closed her eyes and began to cry.

High above, Cynder and Spyro clashed again and again. Both were covered in cuts and bruises but nothing serious enough to be fatal. Both wore smiles across their faces as they continued to spar. Despite the current circumstances, they were both having fun. When Snarl suddenly appeared from the cover of the trees, Cynder's smile disappeared.

"Damn it! I think we're out of time." She said as she lunged for Spyro.

"So what do we do?" Spyro asked. He dodged her talons as she rushed by swung his tail at her. The blow connected but CYnder brushed it off as if it were nothing.

"Hit me!" Cynder shouted and turned to face him. She began to glow with convexity, indicating what she meant. "Use everything you've got Spyro!"

The purple dragon hesitated for a moment. Then he nodded and the two began to circle each other. Spyro's power began to rise and his purple aura began to illuminate the sky. As Snarl watched from below, Cynder gave a load roar and charged. She swung at Spyro with her massive paw only to have the purple dragon weave to the side and slam his tail under her jaw. Cynder's head rocked back exposing her bare stomach. Spyro opened his jaws wide and unleashed a concentrated beam of convexity. The energy struck Cynder in the chest and propelled her into the ground, nearly crushing Snarl in the process had the Alpha not dove to the side at the last second.

The attack was enough to leave Cynder slightly dazed as she rose to her feet. She shook the dirt and ash from her scales and noticed Snarl getting to his feet several yards away. The dragoness hissed up at the purple dragon and her eyes flashed with convexity. She turned and snatched up the wolf and took to the air. As she flew off, she glanced back over her shoulder to gaze at Spyro who remained hovering in place.

Spyro sighed sadly as he watched her disappear over the horizon.

Sparx poked his head out of his hiding spot. When he saw that the coast was clear he flew up beside Spyro and squinted into the distance. "I'm guessing she's leaving us aloe for now?" He asked.

"I guess so." Spyro nodded slightly. He wished she didn't have to go back to wherever she might be going.

"Hey, Spyro. If you're that worried about her, why don't you just follow her?"

Spyro nearly slapped himself in the head. "Why didn't I think of that before?"

"I dunno? To busy ogling your girlfriend probably." Sparx shrugged. Spyro flew a few feet then slowed to a stop. "Hey what's wrong buddy?" The dragonfly noticed the expression on his brother's face.

Spyro sighed sadly but then his smile returned shortly after. "Nothing. We don't need to follow her."

"What? Why not? I thought..."

"It's alright Sparx." Spyro looked at his brother; his eyes wet with tears. "I love Cynder and I trust her."

The dragonfly glance from the purple dragon to the horizon and back before shrugging again. "Well, if you say so."

Spyro just chuckled. "Come on. Let's go gather the others." The two of them drifted to the ground and met Flame and Ember. The fire guardian's markings had disappeared but Ember was keeping her distance from him. "Are you guys okay?" Spyro asked as he approached them.

"We're alright." Flame nodded.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe when you look like that." Sparx pointed to the puncture wounds on Flame's back.

"It's not as bad as it looks." Flame waved a paw dismissively. "I'll recover in no time." He honestly felt like he was dying inside. He could taste blood in his mouth but was refraining from coughing for fear of worrying his dragoness.

"Where's Tremor and Candice?" Spyro looked around.

"Right here." The four friends turned their heads to see the ice dragoness walking towards them.

"Where's Tremor?" Ember asked, a look of concern spread across her face.

"He's back there." Candice gave her head a slight thrust behind her. "He'll be fine. But I suggest we make camp there for the night."

"Sounds good to me." Sparx yawned. "I'm beat."

"How can you be tired?" Flame asked and raised a brow. "You weren't the one doing all the fighting."

"No. But it's no less tiring watching you guys."

"Hey guys?" Candice looked around the open field. "Where's Stella?"


	51. Chapter 50

An explosion of electric energy filled the sky. The scream of the lightning guardian was drowned out by the thunderous boom that shook the air. When the light from the flash died away, the mutant wolf stood up and looked around curiously; his opponent had gone missing. His attention was grabbed by the sounds of the battle going on behind him. He turned and charged the two fire-breathing dragons across the field with an angry howl. Unbeknownst to him his enemy was still alive.

The force of the explosion sent Stella flying high and long across the open field and far into the forest. As she plummeted towards the ground she saw Spyro and Cynder high above her, locked in combat. The dragoness opened her mouth to say speak, when she fell through the canopy of the trees and slammed hard into a tree trunk. There was a loud crack and her eyes widened from shock. Stella hit the ground and didn't move. For a long time she was silent, only her raspy breathing and the noise from the battle beyond could be heard. The pounding of her heart hurt her body. The thumping seemed to drown out the sounds of fighting and soon everything began to grow quiet. Stella's eyelids began to fall along with her heart rate. A moment later she fell away from the world.

Shortly after the dragoness had lost consciousness, the sound of footsteps drew closer to her. The pair of black dragons stopped when they saw the guardian.

"Look at what we have here." The male leaned down and eyed Stella closely. She had burn marks all across her body. Blood trickled from her nose, mouth and the fresh gash on the side of her head. "It's one of the new guardians." The male continued to prod at Stella with his paw.

"Stop poking at her already." The female scolded and scowled down at the lightning dragoness. "I say we just kill her and scratch one more nuisance from our list." The dark dragoness stepped forward and raised her talons to bring an end down upon Stella's skull.

"Wait!" The male snapped. His tail shot out like a whip and wrapped around the dragoness's foreleg. "We should bring her back to the master first. Perhaps he can use her." The black dragoness paused for a moment then a wicked smile spread across her mouth.

Tremor groaned as a wave of pain swept through his head. He cringed and ground his teeth against the throbbing as he slowly began to wake up.

"Welcome back." A soft voice caught his attention. He turned his focus to see Candice sitting upright next to him.

Tremor groaned again and forced himself to sit up. "W-where are we? What happened?" He reached back with his paws and felt the burning spot on the base of his neck. He felt the tooth markings and his memory came flooding back.

Seeing that he remembered, Candice remained silent, waiting for him to speak again. She felt a knot swelling up deep in her throat as she watched him look around the trees. There was a small campfire built by Flame and Ember, but other than that, no one else was around.

"Where is everyone?" Tremor finally asked.

Candice sighed and stared into the darkness. "Stella's gone missing. They're out looking for her."

"So what are we waiting here for?" Tremor demanded and started to rise. "Let's go help Aaaahh!" A sudden bolt of pain struck him and he collapsed back to the ground.

"I suggest you sit tight Tremor." Candice suggested. "You haven't recovered yet from that nerve bite. It's gunna take a good hour to finish wearing off."

The earth dragon huffed and lay back down, clutching at his throbbing head and burning neck. The two dragons sat in silence for another long, tense moment. Once again, Tremor was the first to speak.

"Why did you do it Candice?" He asked. The ice dragoness remained silent. "Well?" Tremor repeated more forcefully this time. Again Candice didn't respond; she only hung her head and stared down at her talons. Tremor growled angrily and huffed again, causing a small mound of dirt to rise up in front of him. "I find the one responsible for my sister's death..." He turned his head and locked his eyes on Candice. The ice guardian had never seen him so infuriated before; not even with her. "And you cheated me!"

Tremor turned his head as a single tear slid down Candice's nose.

Another long moment passed. "I know how you must feel..." She started but Tremor jumped in, immediately cutting her off.

"Do you?" He snapped. "I find it hard to believe, that after everything you and I have gone through together these past several months, especially since the return of the Dark Master, that you truly know how I feel!" Tremor's harsh words felt like a knife in Candice's chest, but she was willing to bide her time and let him vent. "I don't know if you have any family that you can go home to, but Gaia and I were orphaned when we were still little! I don't hold a grudge against Cynder because I know it wasn't her fault! But Gaia and I had to rely on each other for strength just to survive all those harsh years! And she was taken from me! My last family member killed by one of those blood-thirsty bastards! And when I find the one responsible you tell me I shouldn't make him pay for what he's done to me? What he did to her?"

Candice bit her lip as the pain in her chests continued to swell. She watched as the earth guardian's scales began to darken again as his temper continued to increase. She dug her talons into the earth, preparing to strike if the situation called for it again.

"How could you?" Tremor's eyes were filling with tears as she stared up at her. "How could you side with them? I thought we were friends! I thought you were Gaia's friend! How could you protect someone who killed your friend, and nearly killed me too? I love you but..."

Candice had heard as much as she could take. In a quick flash of ice energy, her paw snapped out. Tremor felt the icy blow across his cheek and his eyes grew wide in surprise. His scales returned to their normal forest-green and he raised his paw to his cheek. He felt three markings on his cheek, frozen over in ice. The earth dragon stared at the ice dragoness in sheer disbelief. Candice's eyes were glowing in outrage.

"Don't you ever say that to me again!" The dragoness raged, turning the small campsite to ice, freezing over the campfire to nothing more than fading embers. "I hate those wolves justas much as you do! I hated seeing you in pain when you lost Gaia. And I couldn't stand the thought of losing you myself! But there is no way, in all creation that I will let you sell your soul for something as worthless as revenge!"

"It's not worthless!" Tremor shot back. "That wolf deserves..."

"I know what that wolf deserves!" Candice interrupted, frost jetting from her nostrils and between her teeth. "But killing him won't bring Gaia back!"

"I know that!"

"So why waste your time thinking about revenge Tremor!" Candice shook her head and locked him square in the eye. "It's not like you to just single someone out like this! What would Gaia say is she saw you behaving like this?"

Tremor was silent. He honestly didn't know. His sister had always been the kind and gentle one between them and was more interested in breaking up fights rather than starting them. But she had been the one who had pointed Snarl out to them.

When the earth dragon continued to stare at the ground, Candice breathed a deep sigh, letting her icy breath cool Tremor down.

"Tremor." She murmured and grabbed his attention. "I love you more than anything in this world or the next. I love who you are. I love what you do. Even if it does get on my nerves." A subtle smirk tugged at Tremor's cheek. Candice smiled inwardly when she saw it. "I almost lost you twice now. And I don't want that to happen after I just got you back."

"Twice?" Tremor raised a brow inquisitively.

Candice nodded. "The first was when I found you nearly dead back along the coastline. The second was today."

Tremor's mouth hung open slightly. He didn't know what to say. He felt his heart beat slow down and his shoulders slumped in shame.

Candice leaned in and nuzzled his frozen cheek. "Tremor, do you remember the promise we made..." Her cheeks began to flush as her thoughts drifted back to the events a few days prior. "You know...when we..."

"Promise?" Tremor titled his head to the side as he tried to remember. Candice waited patiently for a couple minutes, letting him fully recall their pact. At last Tremor looked her in the eye again. "We promised...never to change who we were."

Candice nodded with a slight smile. Tremor really was a good match for her, as dimwitted as he could be at time. "Vengeful is not a word I would use to describe you Tremor. You fight to protect those you love and care about. You don't seek revenge because you lost someone. You continue doing what you do best."

"And what is that?" Tremor asked almost mumbling in chagrin. He felt dirty all over; tainted by his earlier actions.

"Being a guardian. Protecting this world from those who would wish for nothing more than to see those who live in it suffer." She smiled as she prepared to say her finishing argument. "You're a pain and an idiot sometimes Tremor. But the fact that you're a true friend to those around you, more than makes up for it. And it's one of the many reasons I admire you and have come to love you for."

Tremor felt his heart swell up in his throat. Even in the darkness, Candice could see his eyes getting wet with tears. The light from the moons overhead made his green eyes shine like crystals in the night. Candice raised a paw and brushed the ice away from the three slash marks on Tremor's cheek.

"I know you miss Gaia. I miss her too. But avenging her death won't make things any better for us in the long run. Vengeance isn't in your nature Tremor."

"How do you know?" Tremor choked back his tears, trying to fight the urge to cry.

"Because I know you. And I know you better than anyone else around. I would admire you more if you didn't fight that guy just to get back at him for what he did to Gaia."

The tears started to flow from Tremor's eyes. He lay back down on the ground, letting his head erst on his front paws. Candice gently stroked his back with her talons as she listened to the stifled sobs he tried to fight off. The two guardians sat in relative silence, only the wind could be heard interrupting Tremor's muffled sobs.

"I promise." The earth dragon snorted loudly without looking up at his dragoness.

Candice smiled and lay down next to his, draping her head on the back of his neck. "Thank you." She whispered. Tremor squeezed his eyes shut letting the last of his tears flow from them.

"I'm not going to fail you this time Candice." He thought to himself. "I promise."


	52. Chapter 51

Cynder came to rest in front of the cave entrance to the wolf's village. Snarl fell to the ground as Cynder dropped him from her talons. The fall caused him to scuff his knees and he felt a small pang in his ankle. He glared up at the black dragoness.

"Some servant of our master you are." He growled.

"Excuse me, wolf." Cynder hissed and black flames jetted from her mouth. "I don't like having to carry you and your flea-bitten friends all over the place and then have you bleed all over me afterwards."

Snarl barked angrily and brandished his weapon at the towering dragoness. "You will watch your mouth dragon or I will cut it from your skull myself! I lost good warriors out there today! You have best show respect for their sacrifice or I'll teach you to respect us wolves!"

Cynder wanted to snap back at the Alpha wolf so badly but she held her tongue. She couldn't afford to give herself away to the enemy right now. She let out a tired sigh as she returned to her normal form. Snarl waited until he was able to look down at her before turning back into the mouth of the cave. Cynder hesitated for a moment before following him inside. As the two of them walked through the streets of the cave village, the other wolves watched Cynder with angry eyes. Many spat and nipped at her heals as she trailed behind Snarl. When they reached the central plaza, Snarl came to a stop. Many of his mutated wolf warriors were gathered in a huddle and didn't even notice his arrival.

"What is the meaning of this!" He growled causing his warriors to jump in surprise. The muscle-bound mutants stepped away to reveal a young black dragon standing in the middle of the cluster. His bright red eyes locked on Snarl as he recognized who he was. The Alpha strode up to the dragon and stared down at him, trying to look as intimidating as possible. "Another dragon? I don't run a cub-care service here."

"Mind your mouth wolf." The dragon curled a lip at the pack leader. The other wolves glanced nervously from the dragon to Snarl, unsure of what the Alpha would do. "I have orders from our master."

"Then spit it out and be gone with you!"

The dragon just gave a cocky smile before speaking again. "The master has ordered that you take some of your warriors to the burning mountain and make your final preparations. Immediately." Snarl bit his lower lip. He desperately wanted to strike this arrogant dragon but restrained himself enough to do so.

"Very well then." He sighed, letting a defiant snort escape between his teeth. "I will head there as soon as I gather my warriors and weaponry."

"Good." The black dragon nodded. "I'm glad we understand each other." The dragon moved to walk past Snarl who stepped aside with a hateful glare on his face.

It was then that the dragon noticed Cynder. He was definitely older than she was and nearly twice her size. He gave a lecherous smile as he approached her. "Hey there Sexy. How about a romp in the shadows?" Cynder's expression turned to a nasty snarl as the dragon walked up to her, pressing his chest to hers.

"Know your place weakling." Cynder hissed. She suddenly ducked into his shadow and burst up from underneath him. Th young male was knocked into the air and Cynder leaped after him. She grabbed him and kicked him back down into the ground. The impact was enough to crack the stone and make the dragon's eyes widen in surprise.

Cynder hovered in place as she watched the dragon scrape himself off the ground and shake the dust and pebbles off his scales. He glared at her for a moment and Cynder readied herself for his attack. Instead, the dragon just smiled. "I love a girl who can fight. You're definitely a real firecracker." Cynder felt her temper rise and her eyes began to glow red. The dragon only laughed and headed for the cave entrance. "Have it your way honey. But if you ever need me, you know where to find me."

"Beat it!" Cynder snapped and spat a black fireball at him. The dragon yelped and dove out of the cave as the fireball whizzed over his head. Cynder gave an agitated growl as she landed back on the floor of the cave.

Snarl ignored her as he turned to his warriors. "Make ready for departure." He ordered. "We leave for munitions forge in five minutes. Do I make myself clear!" The warriors howled excitedly and scrambled over each other, grabbing food and weapons.

As the scuffling continued Cynder turned away from them. She was headed for the cave entrance when Snarl spotted her. "Where do you think you're going?" The Alpha demanded and tightened his grip on the handle of his weapon.

"I'm going to speak with my master." Cynder hissed as she began to glow with convexity. Snarl retained his stern glare as the dragoness rose over his head once again. "I will meet you and Munitions forge when I am done." Without another word the black dragoness turned towards the cave entrance. With a single lunge she dove out of the hole and spread her massive wings.

Snarl curled his lip as he listened to the sound of her wing beats fade into the distance. He turned to his warriors and grabbed their attention with a sharp bark. "Finish gathering your supplies and head to Munitions Forge!" He turned back to the cave entrance. "I'm too am going to speak with the master."

Stella woke from a sudden chill. Her eyes flickered open and she stared around the room. She was laying on a bed of pillows stacked in the shape of a nest which sat upon a small pillar. Resting beside the bed of pillows were bundles of roses, as black as the night. Candles lined the ring of the pillar and glowing violet crystals embedded in the walls illuminated the room in an eerie glow.

Stella's scales rattled in discomfort. This place gave her the creeps. She started to get up but collapsed back onto the soft cushions when she felt a stabbing pain in her side. Her cracked ribs hadn't fully healed yet.

"Easy there." A familiar voice warned. "You haven't recovered yet."

The lightning dragoness raised her head and looked around. "Who said that?" Her eyes anxiously darted from shadow to shadow. Then from across the room a pillar of black flames burst up from the ground. Stella's eyes grew wide as the young black dragon stepped out from the shadows. "Liun!"

"How are you Stella? It's been a while." He smiled casually.

Stella was speechless. She had nearly forgotten about the black dragon since Tremor had forcibly removed him from the group.

The black dragon slowly approached her. Stella felt another chill run down her spine as Liun stopped and looked down at her. "You look surprised to see me." Liun pointed out causing Stella to blush slightly. "Don't tell me you forgot about me already."

"I...I..." Stella stammered, unable to recover from his sudden appearance.

Liun just smiled. "It's alright. I'm sure you and the other guardians have had your hands full lately." He reached up and stroked her cheek. The sudden touch caused the dragoness to snap out of her trance and jerk away from him. "Oh come on. Are you still mad at me because of what's happened?"

"I...I...Liun...I just..." Stella had never felt so at a loss for words. She turned her head away, unable to look at him.

Unfazed by her reaction, Liun just smiled. "It's alright, I understand if you're still mad. But I've decided to make it up to you."

That got Stella's attention. She looked back at him with a curious, yet skeptical expression. "Oh? And how do you think you'll make it up to me. And the rest of us for that matter. I'm not the only one you hurt you know."

Liun casually scratched his cheek. "Well, I don't know about the others. I hadn't really thought that far ahead." The truth was, he hadn't considered them at all. "But you..." Liun leaned down a bumped her nose gently with his snout. "I would do anything for." Stella tried to lean away but Liun draped a wing around her, pulling her close to his side. The dragoness immediately became more uncomfortable. "I can give you anything you want Stella. Anything your heart desires." The black dragon whispered next to her. Black tongues of flame licked from his mouth towards Stella. The heat seemed to relax her muscles and her eyelids began to droop. Shadow energy built up around Liun's feet and continued to surround the lightning guardian.

"But...you can't..." Stella murmured as she began to fall victim to the black dragon's spell.

"Oh can't I?" Liun's voice gave a slight hiss and the flames in the room flickered in response. Liun's eyes began to glow purple and Malefor's voice began to distort the young dragon's tone. "Everyone has desires my dear Stella. Even you. You're telling me that you don't have even one little thing that you desire?"

"I..." Stella's breathing began to grow heavier. "I..."

"What is it that you desire. What is it you long for?" The black dragon examined the dragoness up and down. Her sleek golden yellow scales glistened in the dimly lit room. As the guardian of lightning began to submit to the spell the shadows that danced around them leaped for glee, waiting for the command to swallow her whole. Liun smiled as the guardian dropped her guard. The glow of his eyes intensified as he began to infiltrate her mind. He looked deep into her soul and smiled when he found what he was looking for. "I see." He nodded slightly as the glow left his eyes returning them to their normal crimson coloration. "So you do have something you want from life. He brought his tail blade up and ran it down her spine, to the base of her tail and let it slide down the side, just behind her back legs. The tickling sensation brought Stella back for a quick moment.

"N-no..." Stella muttered. She was still somewhat aware of what was going on but felt too weak to fight it. "Liun...don't..."

"It's alright." The black dragon whispered walking around to face her again. "If it's a family you want, then I would be more than willing to give you one." He leaned in and pressed his lips to Stella's forcing her lips open and letting his tongue slide inside of her mouth. Stella moaned, but more out of surprise than pleasure. The remaining consciousness of her mind wanted to pull away from him but her body wouldn't respond. Liun sighed deeply, letting his dark energy seep into her mouth. Stella felt the tingling sensation as it began to spread down her throat. Her scales began to darken from their brilliant golden yellow to a burnt siena. Liun's shadows rose up around the two dragons. Malefor's face manifested above them and an evil smile formed on his face.

"I can give you anything and everything in the world." The Dark Master whispered in her mind. "I only ask one thing from you." He watched as Stella's eyes slowly began to close. "Complete loyalty to me."


	53. Chapter 52

Stella murmured softly as the numbing sensation spread across her body. She could picture herself at her full adult size, with a pair of young hatchlings resting peacefully between her front paws. Stella smiled as she looked at herself in a mirror. Her horns had grown much longer and her adult horns made her long, sleek figure that much more apparent.

"Mama." A tiny voice whispered. Stella looked down at one of her babies who looked up at her with sleepy yellow eyes. "It's hot."

Stella smiled softly as she let her maternal instincts take over. "Okay little one, I'll go open a window."

The mother dragoness stood up and walked over to the window across the room. She reached up with her long talons and pushed it open. Suddenly a red beam of light rushed into the room. Stella jolted in surprise. She looked out the open window to see the sky was swirling with blood-red clouds. The mother dragoness turned quickly towards the door to the room and forced it open. Stella shrieked as she stumbled forward. Instead of a hallway, there was a straight drop and the stones beneath the doorway fell to the ground far below.

Stella looked around with pure horror in her eyes. The landscape was burned to a crisp and flames came up in spouts across the land. In the distance she spotted the dragon city of Warfang. The once glorious city still burned and smoldered with black flames. The walls crumbled to the ground as a quake shook the earth.

Stella turned away and looked at the ground far bellow and her heart skipped several beats. It took her a long time to recover from the sight before her. She let out a scream that shook the sky and shattered the glass in the room.

Down on the ground lay the remaining corpses of her friends. Cynder lay on the ground, with several deep gashes across her once sleek, graceful body. Flame was collapsed on top of Ember. The pink dragoness's body was punctured through with spears and the fire guardian wasn't much better off. With his dying breath he had fallen onto the love of his life in hopes of putting his own soul at peace. Tremor and Candice were a short distance away from the others. The earth guardian had thrown himself in front of his dragoness to protect her from a jousting spear but the weapon had pierced through them both. Now their bodies dangled from the crudely crafted weapon which was still buried in the side of a stone wall.

Stella stepped backwards into the room, head shaking in disbelief.

"What's wrong mama?" The same timid voice came from behind and the mother dragon whirled around in surprise. The two hatchlings were wide awake now and walking towards her.

"No! Don't come any closer!" Stella warned them and positioned herself between them and the open door.

"It's okay mama." The first one replied innocently. "We know what's outside. You showed us."

"I what?" Stella could hardly believe what the young dragon had just said.

"Yeah." The second hatchling nodded. "You showed us how we came to be. You said that you helped do all that just so you could have us."

A horrified Stella could only watch as the hatchlings toddled over to her and wrap themselves around her front legs in a toddler-like hug. "We love you mama." They chimed in together.

"No!" Stella shrieked and threw the hatchlings off of her. She staggered back a couple steps as the young dragons shook their heads and stared at her with hurt expressions.

"Mama?"

"Don't you love us anymore?"

"N-no!" Stella screamed and clutched at her head, digging her long talons into her scalp. "This is wrong! This is all wrong!"

"Mama?" The hatchlings started to walk towards her again, this time being a bit more cautious.

"Stay away from me!" Stella shouted and hissed menacingly. The hatchlings ignored her and continued to approach her.

"You swore an oath to me!" Malefor's voice came from the baby dragon's mouth. "You wanted a family and I gave it to you. Now you must do as I say!"

"No!" Stella cried as the little dragons began to turn jet black. She stepped back farther, trying to put some space between herself and them. "Get away from me!" The mother dragoness went to take another step back when the floor beneath her gave way. Stella screamed as she fell to the ground below, spikes reaching up to meet her with bloody anticipation.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open. Liun still had his mouth pressed against hers and was shrouded in dark magic. Stella gave a muffled cry and shoved him away. The black dragon lost his balance and tumbled out of the nest of cushions.

Stella sat there for a moment, quaking violently from the shock. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she felt something wet beneath her. She hung her head low to see a white discharge gathering in a large puddle on the cushions. She jerked away, staring at the thick white fluid, utterly mortified.

"What's the matter Stella?" Liun asked, acting cool as he picked himself up off the floor. His shadows still spread throughout the room.

The lightning guardian looked at him. She was still feeling numb from his spell and her legs trembled beneath her. Liun walked up to her again and raised a paw to stroke her cheek again but Stella jerked away. Liun ignored the gesture and moved closer again. "Don't come near me." Stella whimpered and tucked her wings to her side and curled her tail around herself.

"It's alright Stella." Liun repeated and brought his tail blade up under her chin and raised her eyes to look at him. He pressed his lips to hers again, more forcibly this time. Stella gave a muffled scream as Liun pressed against her harder. The dragoness tried to shove him off but Liun had grown stronger somehow; he was overpowering her.

At last Stella pulled her tail back and slashed the black dragon with her tail spade. Liun's eyes snapped open and he yelped in surprise. This gave Stella the chance she needed and she shoved the black dragon away. Liun's claws got tangled in the cushions and he fell into the puddle Stella had made.

"Damn it Stella!" Liun growled irritatedly as he got up. He tried to wipe the discharge from his black scales but the chalky, clammy substance clung to his skin.

The lightning dragoness was more than ashamed of herself. She looked down at the pillows under her long talons as she listened to the black dragon curse as he tried to clean himself off. Stella looked back at Liun and saw his dark energy growing ever more powerful. The shadows began to gather around the ceiling allowing Malefor to manifest even more of himself. It was then Stella realized what was going on. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw fell open.

"Liun!" She cried and tackled him out of the nest. The two rolled over each other and Stella felt her ribs crack even more. The dragoness pinned him to the ground an looked him square in the eye. "It's Malefor! He's possessed you! You have to fight it!"

Liun looked back up at her with a surprised expression on his face. Tears were still flowing from her eyes and plopping onto his face.

"Come on Liun! I know you're in there somewhere!" Stella shook him hard. "You have to be!"

Just then Malefor began to laugh. The jeering sound of his voice just made her more desperate to reach the black dragon. "Come on Liun! Answer me! Show me something! I know you're not an evil dragon! You can fight it! I believe in you!"

As Malefor's laughter grew louder, Liun began to laugh too.

"You do know that you are wasting your energy, right?" Malefor's body was fully manifested as he walked up beside Stella. "There is no way you can possibly get through to him."

"You're lying!" Stella snapped and lighting crackled around her body.

"Am I?" The Dark Master leaned in close and Stella could feel the evil radiating from him. "Don't you find it interesting that he isn't responding to your pleading? He has been my servant for some time now. Surely you must have noticed something."

"N-no! That's not true! Liun would never turn evil on his own!"

"Then you must not know your friends very well." Malefor sneered causing Stella to shrink away slightly. "You should pick your friends more carefully young guardian."

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Malefor thrust his giant head towards Liun. Stella slowly turned her head to look down at the black dragon; he wore a smug grin on his face.

"Liun...?"

"Surprise." The the black dragon chuckled and Stella's mouth fell open. After the shock had worn off the dragoness stepped off of him. "I'm surprised you didn't catch on sooner." He smiled as he got to his feet and shook himself. "You definitely seemed to be the smartest of the group but I even fooled you." Stella just stared at him in shock as he began to pace around her. "I've been keeping an eye on you all for the Dark Master just to ensure he stays one step ahead of you. Granted that it hasn't all gone according to plan, but close enough."

Stella hung her head. "So you mean, the attack on Warfang..."

"The Dark Master suddenly showing up inside the city? Yeah, I helped with that."

"And Titanus?"

"Me too. But I'm sure you didn't notice the way I held back in that fight. The plan was to destroy the city of Warfang, stranding you guardians and making it easier for me to capture Spyro."

"And then Dante's Freezer?"

"Yeah." Liun rolled his eyes. "I have to say, those wolves need some obedience training. They should have attacked a lot sooner than they did. And then they prevented me from acquiring Spyro's ice powers."

"Do you think I feel sorry for you?" Stella raised one eye to see him.

"No." Liun shook his head with a half chuckle. "But frankly I don't care. And after the stunt that thick-headed guardian Tremor pulled, I sent one of my many minions to deal away with him too."

Stella's eyes widened and her head shot up. "You...You were behind that?"

Liun beamed with pride. "Absolutely. He had his death coming to him. I figured I may as well speed it up and save him from future torment. So I guess in a way I was trying to do him a favor."

"You...You almost had him killed...And Candice...She...she..."

"Oh I'll get to her myself later." Liun waved a paw as he continued to circle the dragoness.

Stella took a deep breath and calmed her senses. "So you've nearly killed us all on those separate occasions? Why?"

"Well, for power. I was the most willing dragon to help Malefor acquire what he's needed so far. Therefore I get to be his host when he reaches his full strength."

"And how will you do that?" Stella growled and narrowed her eyes at him.

"The same way Cynder drained the other guardians from their power. Spyro, being a purple dragon and all, possess powers that are hundreds of times stronger than any normal dragon. So by draining him of his elemental powers, I'll become stronger than ever!" He let out a nefarious laugh and Stella felt her power surge from deep within her. Her talons scraped against the floor, leaving scratches in the stone.

"I can't believe you. You used me. And for something as meaningless as this! Then you tried to get me to turn on my friends!"

"I was giving you the chance to have everything you ever wanted. All you had to do was help out a little bit and it would have been yours. Though I still don't know why you rejected the idea."

"Because the loss of my friends isn't worth it."

Liun stopped and stared the astonished dragoness in the eyes. "I will have Spyro's powers, one way or the other. With or without your help. I was trying to do you a favor."

"Do me a favor and don't." Stella leered at him. "You know, I was wondering why I didn't feel sad or remorseful when you left us. But now I'm glad that I didn't. Because you're just a..." Liun stopped her with a blow to the side of her head. Stella rolled across the floor and hit the wall.

"Watch your mouth with me Stella!" Liun hissed. "You're in my territory now! If you want to continue living then I suggest you think about what you do."

Stella shook her head and glared back at him. "I'm a guardian." She groaned as she got to her feet. "I'll do what I have to to protect this world from scum like you."

"Oh, so you want to play it that way do you?" The black dragon took a fighting stance with his wings spread wide; a superior smirk spread across his mouth. "Alright then. I'm going to give you one second to to hit me with..."

Liun was suddenly slammed into the far wall, stones crashing down on top of him. Malefor stared with wide eyes as the young dragon struggled to rise from the pile of debris. Stella noticed his expression and fixed her golden eyes on the Dark Master.

"Oh don't look so surprised." She growled. "I'm the guardian of lightning, I move in nanoseconds."

"Insolent little whelp!" Malefor roared and lashed out at Stella. The dragoness dodged and swung her tail only to hit nothing but air. Malefor laughed as he turned to face her. "You can't hurt me that way, young dragon. You may have the title of guardian but you are nowhere near as experienced."

"I'll let my skills speak for themselves." Stella answered proudly and sprayed the Dark Master with lightning bolts. Malefor roared angrily as he shrank back. Stella turned up the voltage and the Dark Master's roars of pain grew louder.

Just then there was a loud crash and a snarl as Liun burst free from the pile of fallen stones. He knocked several large chunks of debris at Stella who gracefully dodged them. The black dragon lunged for her with claws outstretched. Stella jumped and rolled over Liun's bare back and kicked him into the floor. The black dragon grunted from the hit and turned his head to see Stella charge a bolt of electricity. He rolled to the side as the bolt cut straight through the floor, filling the room with dust. Stella beat her wings once and dove through the hole she made in the floor.

With an angry roar, Malefor barreled through the floor after her. The lightning dragoness banked to the side as the manifested shadows brought the ceiling down all around her. The Dark Master turned a hateful glare on Stella and started towards her. Stella breathed deep and charged up another attack. Just as she was about to strike, Liun dove through the open ceiling and unleashed a shower of black lightning bolts. Stella dropped to the floor and rolled to the side. Liun concentrated the chains into one centered stream of electricity and followed the dragoness. Stella got to her feet and ran as fast as she could, trying to keep ahead of the dark lightning. Malefor lashed out at the dragoness, hoping to catch her by surprise; but Stella was on her guard. She leaped for the wall and bounced off. Liun's eyes widened just before Stella struck him across the face with her talons.

Stella hit the ground and dove to the side as Malefor attacked again. She whirled and opened her jaws wide, charing up a bolt of lightning. The chamber was suddenly illuminated and the Dark Master bellowed in pain and shrank back to the far wall. Stella shut her mouth and smiled to herself; there was a way to hurt the Dark Master in his current state. She charged him head on, lightning leaping between her jaws. Malefor's eyes grew wide as she sprang into the air, jaws wide and electricity brightening the room. The manifested dragon roared and his flames began to shrink away as the light began to take over.

Suddenly, Stella was struck from the side. As she hurtled towards the far wall she let her charged bolt go astray. The lightning struck Liun in the chest and sent him crashing through the opposite wall. Both young dragons struggled to their feet. Stella winced and her legs buckled; her ribs were definitely broken now. Liun glared at the dragoness and wiped the blood from his cheek. Stella spread her wings, ready to defend herself. Liun gave a sneaky smirk and jerked his head at her. Out from behind him stepped another black dragon; and then another, and another. Stella's eyes grew wide as her mouth and wings dropped in dismay.

"You have got to be kidding me." She shook her head. The room was filled with nearly thirty black dragons besides Liun.

"We kid you not Sparky." A male dragon chuckled with a twisted smile on his face.

"You see, I told you we should have killed her when we found her." A female black dragoness retorted.

"Enough talking!" Malefor bellowed as he struggled to his feet, his strength slowly beginning to return. "Kill her!" The black dragons roared excitedly and lunged for the young guardian. Stella gasped and blew another hole in the floor with a charged bolt. She dropped into the lower chamber and turned as the dragons scrambled to get through the hole. They didn't have much luck all pushing against each other at once. Stella turned and fired another bolt, blowing another hole in the adjacent wall.

Malefor felt the rumble from the blast and growled irritably. "Enough! All of you!" He roared and the black dragons froze in fear. The Dark Master reared up on his hind legs and smashed through the floor. The black dragons all watched with wide eyes as the shadow dragon stared them down. "Now go after her!" He ordered. The young dragons all looked at one another, waiting to see who would move first. "Now!" Malefor roared, his angry voice shaking the entire castle. The black dragons scrambled over each other and down the hole, trying desperately to get away from him. Liun watched and waited for them to vanish from his sight before turning to the dark dragon.

"And what should I do? Follow and assist?"

Malefor was about to answer when an angry voice caught both dragon's attention.

"By my ancestors! What is this world coming to? I came here for a serious talk, not discuss renovation plans!" The two dragons looked up into the chamber over their heads to see Snarl staring down at them.


	54. Chapter 53

Cynder beat her wings across the night sky. The wind was cold against her scales but she ignored the chill. She pressed on determined to find her purple dragon and the guardian candidates. The moons covered the land in an unearthly red-violet. They seemed to be foreshadowing what was to come and the dragoness shuddered.

"No, I won't think that way." She shook her head and pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. "I have to find Spyro and warn him about what's going to happen."

Tremor woke to the sound of footsteps crunching across dried leaves and twigs. He perked his head up and cringed from the pain that lingered in his neck. Flame and Ember entered the camp ground to see the fire nearly dead from Candice's ice covering the ground.

"Tremor, you're awake." Ember's voice was a little raspy from exhaustion.

"How are you guys doing?" The earth dragon worked a kink out of his neck with a loud pop.

"We've been better." Flame grunted as he breathed new life in to the camp fire. The sudden heat made Tremor scoot closer. He had been shivering slightly on the semi-frozen ground Candice had created. The dragoness had done her best to keep him warm but she could only do so much.

"Any luck?" Candice asked worriedly. Ember shook her head sadly and sat down beside the fire.

"Did anyone see what happened to her out on the battlefield?" Tremor asked as he sat up on his haunches.

The guardians all looked at each other hoping for one of them to answer.

"I don't recall seeing her after the second wolf attacked us. I should have paid more attention. I failed my duty as a guardian. And now Stella is missing..." His voice trailed off and Ember's eyes grew wide as she imagined what could have happened to her friend.

"You...you don't suppose she's..."

"Don't talk like that!" Candice snapped and caused the fire breathers to jump in surprise. "We haven't found her but that's just probably because it's dark out. We'll keep searching until we find at least something."

Their attention was grabbed from a faint glow among the trees. Sparx fluttered into the campsite followed closely by Spyro; both of them looked exhausted.

"Find anything?" Flame inquired as he sat down next to Ember.

"Nothing." Sparx replied. "It's like she vanished into thin air or something."

"Damn!" Tremor slammed a paw on the ground and shook the whole earth. "We should have been looking out for her!"

"Tremor, calm down." Candice scooted closer to him in hopes of settling him down.

Tremor gave a dejected sighed and shook his head. "We should have been watching each other's backs out there today. We've been trained on this over and over, but when it really came down to it we couldn't even follow through on something that should be second nature to us!" The guardians all slumped their shoulders.

"We were all too focused on ourselves out there today." Flame muttered darkly. The other guardians nodded in deep regret.

"Well I'm not going to give up looking for her!" Spyro said and took a determined step towards the fire. "She's a guardian like the rest of you. She's tough and she's smart. I'm certain she must still be alive somewhere!"

The other guardians were a little taken back by his sudden boldness. They hadn't seen that in him in months; but it seemed to bring new life to their spirits.

"You're right." Tremor, as usual, was the first to rise. "If it weren't for Stella I would have given up on Candice before we even had a chance." He caught the ice dragoness stare up at him out of the corner of his eye. "The least we can do is not call it quits just yet."

"Yeah." Candice nodded and stood up beside him and thrust her chest out. "After all, she's the one who has always been there for us. It's our turn to return the favor."

"Yeah!" Flame ad Ember chimed in together. The guardians all smiled around at each other with newly inspired energy. Spyro looked at the group of dragons and felt a new sense of pride swell up within him. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so confident with himself.

Just then the sound of beating wings grabbed their attention. The guardians all whirled around with their wings spread wide, ready to face any enemy. The sound of the wing beats grew quieter and the next thing they knew, a shadow flew overhead.

"Spyro!" A familiar voice called out.

"Cynder?" Spyro squinted against the light of the fire into the dark sky above. The shadow hovered overhead before dropping into the firelight. Cynder had returned to her normal form and tackled Spyro to the ground. The guardians all watched with surprised expressions as Cynder covered Spyro with kisses. They were a bit hesitant about her presence but Spyro's laughter put their minds at ease.

When Cynder got off of Spyro she turned to the others with an ecstatic look on her face. "It's so good to see you all again!" It felt so good to be back with her friends that Cynder couldn't contain herself. She transformed into her adult form and gathered the other guardians together into a group hug, squeezing them tightly to her chest.

At last she released them so they could get their breath back. Spyro smiled and walked over to her as she revered back to normal. "It's great to see you Cynder." Spyro nuzzled her lovingly.

"I agree." Sparx nodded, giving the dragoness a friendly pat on the neck. "Speaking of which, where have you been?"

"Yeah." Ember piped up as she and the other guardians moved closer to her. "Where have you been?"

"Well..." Cynder sighed. "It's a long story."

"What?" Malefor roared and struck Snarl across the face, sending him flying across the demolished chamber. The wolf wiped the blood from his lip as he got to his feet. Liun lunged and pinned him to the ground, his eyes burning with convexity. Malefor towered over the wolf, his yellow eyes flashing furiously. "You seriously thought that the black dragoness was under my control? How incompetent are you?" Liun grabbed Snarl's arm in his jaws and hurled him across the room again. Snarl smashed through the opposite wall and rolled to a stop. Liun picked his way through the rubble and waited for Snarl to move.

"Seriously, did you really think that the black dragoness was siding with us?"

"Yes!" Snarl coughed on his own blood as he staggered to his feet. "She was using this power that I had never seen before. I assumed it was from the crystal you told us to corrupt her with."

"I haven't even felt the dragoness's presence among my consciousness." Malefor growled and pinned Snarl to the floor again. The black flames began to burn into his fur. Snarl cringed and did his best not to show any signs of weakness. "How could she have possibly fooled you into thinking that she would side with us?" Liun demanded.

"Silence!" Malefor snapped at the black dragon and Liun cowered immediately. He was surprised that his master had snapped at him in such a harsh manner. Malefor pressed down harder on Snarl's chest burning his flesh with his dark flames. Snarl emitted a growl but refused to let anything else past. "You will go to Munitions Forge, and you will make certain that the preparations are complete for when I arrive." He stepped off of Snarl allowing the Alpha to gasp for breath. "And if you fail at that..." Liun's mouth opened wide and fired a concentrated beam of dark magic. Snarl howled in pain as the energy burned his left arm. He fell to the floor clutching at his wounded limb. "I will be sure to end your life before you can even blink."

Malefor looked down at Liun who nodded. The black dragon walked up beside the Alpha and placed a paw on his burned arm. He absorbed the dark magic back into his body, leaving Snarl with an arm that looked as black as the night. The wolf leader flexed his arm, surprised that the pain had suddenly gone away. He looked up at the young dragon who curled his lip at him. The wolf got to his feet and stormed out of the chamber.

When he was gone Liun looked up at his master. "So what do we do now?" He asked.

Malefor roared angrily and the flames that made up his body began to dissipate. Liun gasped as he felt the power swell up inside him again. When all was still he breathed a deep sigh and his eyes flashed with convexity.

"We're going dragon hunting." Malefor's voice came from his own lips. Liun bellowed and spread his wings wide. With a tremendous flap of his wings he shot straight through the roof and into the night sky.


	55. Chapter 54

"I wish you had told me before." Spyro sighed as Cynder finished her story.

"Believe me Spyro, I wanted to," Cynder apologized as she rubbed his cheek sympathetically with her paw. "But I was afraid you'd try and stop me if I told you."

"She has a point there buddy," Sparx pointed out.

Spyro was about to say something when Tremor interrupted him. "I don't think there was any 'good' way of going about it. It needed to be done. I guess." He looked down at the slash marks that remained on his chest. The wounds he had received were still very fresh. Candice noticed the look on his face and rubbed against his neck in hopes of comforting him a little bit. Cynder noticed and looked at Spyro who gave a slight smile. The black dragoness smiled back and nuzzled him under the chin.

"But what I don't understand is how Spyro is losing his powers to begin with," Ember continued.

"I think it has something to do with that crystal shard Malefor used on Spyro back when he attacked the dragon city," Cynder pondered aloud. "From what I've heard from the wolves, anyone who comes into contact with these crystals gets possessed by the Dark Master."

"So we have to find all these things and destroy them?" Flame asked with an exhausted sigh.

"That's the good news." Cynder shook her head. "You remember all those black dragons that went missing from the Eastern City?" The other guardians nodded. "Malefor has possessed their minds as well. So that will save us the trouble of having to search out the crystals."

"How do you know?" Tremor raised a brow suspiciously.

"Because Malefor is building an army." Candice piped up. Every head turned to the ice dragoness. "Think about it. He recruits the wolves as his new foot-soldiers. The attack on the dragon city was to gain the power of black dragons on his side, because obviously Malefor doesn't want to rely on the wolves too heavily."

"But the wolves just seem to be getting stronger," Ember pointed out.

"Yeah." Tremor nodded. "I've got the wounds to prove it."

"Anyways," Candice continued, "Malefor must be planning something big. He needs Spyro's powers to do it. But he knows since Spyro is a purple dragon that he's going to need immense amounts of power to bring Spyro down. He's not going to waste his time on small fish; he's going to go for what he wants."

"So what do we do now?" Tremor cracked his neck; it was something he did whenever he was restless.

"We stop Malefor before he has a chance to drain Spyro of his powers." Cynder stepped forward with a determined fire burning in her eyes. "Spyro's power is depleting by the day. There's nothing we can do about that. But if we can keep him from stealing what's left of Spyro's powers then we won't have to worry about him regaining his true power."

The guardians all nodded in agreement. The plan made sense to them but Sparx wasn't fully convinced.

"Cynder, this plan sounds all well and good. But what do we do when Spyro's powers are gone? Hope that Malefor loses interest in him and decides to take a vacation? I don't think he's going to take that very lightly."

"Sparx, I'm far from helpless." Spyro pointed out before anyone could say anything. "Even if I can't use my elements, I still have the power of convexity on my side."

"Yeah." Flame nodded. "I can help you out too!"

"Flame?" Spyro raised a skeptical brow. The fire breather seemed rather energetic all of a sudden.

"I mean it," Flame continued, "We all have our own special abilities. There's no way that Malefor could stand up against all of us at once."

"You guys..." Spyro smiled. He began to feel warmth from deep inside. He felt stronger and surer of himself. "Thank you. For everything."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Tremor laughed.

"Shush!" Candice hissed.

"What..." Tremor was about to protest when Candice slapped a paw over his muzzle.

"Listen..." The dragons froze but only heard the sound of the fire popping beside them.

"I don't hear..." Tremor started again and Candice clapped both paws over his mouth. She breathed a cloud of ice over the fire and put it out. The dragons listened in the darkness for a moment. Then a low rumble could be heard in the distance.

"I hear it," Ember whispered.

"What is it?" Flame asked, his tail twitching in anticipation.

There was another loud boom and the dragons all looked at one another. "It sounds like thunder," Candice hissed as she recognized the sound.

"Wait, thunder?" Spyro looked at Flame. The other guardians caught on to what they were thinking.

"Stella!"

The black dragons swarmed after the lightning guardian in a flurry of wings and hisses. Stella shot low over the ground in hopes of gaining speed and distance in her dive. She had been flying as fast as she could for nearly three and a half hours. Her muscles ached and her lungs burned from the constant exertion. She had out flown the black dragons for nearly sixty miles but they had caught up to her. Their numbers made them look like a dark cloud of locusts against the night sky with eyes and teeth shining in the moonlight.

Stella banked to the side as another black dragon dove at her, slashing with his claws. The dragoness gave a quick cough, stunning the dragon with a bolt of lightning. The dragon fell towards the ground but was able to regain his composure just before colliding with the tree tops.

"Damn it!" Stella cursed to herself. "Either they're tougher than I thought or I'm getting weaker." She beat her wings faster, ignoring the burning pain that coursed through her muscles.

Another dragon dove at her and breathed a cloud of black fire. Stella screamed as she took a direct hit on her left shoulder. The dragon laughed as she began to fall. As she plummeted towards the tree tops, she turned around and released a chain of lightning bolts up at the dragons. Several managed to dodge them but others only succeeded in bumping into the dragons around them causing more dragons to get electrocuted.

Stella cried out as she spread her wings again. The wind cooled the burn as she whistled by above the tree tops. The dragons charged her. Stella banked upward and rolled spraying them over and over with light charges. The dragons shrieked and shrank back, allowing the dragoness to press onward. Several of them unleashed a shower of dark lightning all around her. Stella banked and pitched between the bolts, just narrowly missing them.

Ahead, Stella could see lights rising up from the forest; two purple, two red, one blue, one green. The other guardians were coming to her rescue. In a last desperate attempt to push back her attackers Stella climbed higher into the night sky. The dragons clawed and slashed at her tail as she passed them and followed after her, ignoring to other dragons coming to aid her. At the peak of her climb Stella let out a roar and lightning burst from her body. The lightning manifested itself once again and Stella dove towards the other guardians. The black dragons dodged her as she whisked past them.

"Here she comes!" Spyro called as Stella closed in on them.

"Give her some support!" Flame shouted. The guardians all drew in deep breaths and released their power in a devastating wave of energy. Earth, fire, ice, shadow and lightning all combined into one attack. Stella banked hard as the beam shot past her. The black dragons scattered, snarling and hissing in surprise.

"Stella!" Ember called as the dragoness rushed straight for them. She was going too fast to slow down properly.

"Tremor!" Stella shouted as she took aim for him. The earth dragon only had a moment to get his bearings before his friend flew into him. The earth dragon rolled backwards through the air but managed to catch himself, holding Stella around her chest. "Thanks for the catch." She panted heavily as she dangled from his arms, ignoring the stabbing pain from her broken ribs.

"Anytime." Tremor nodded with a goofy smile then turned his attention back to the black dragons above. They hissed and spat angrily at having lost their prey to the guardians.

"Allow me!" Cynder shouted over the roars overhead. She began to glow with convexity and her body began to grow. The other guardians backed off as she continued her transformation. High above, the black dragons watched with jaws dropped as Cynder's elongated head and beady red eyes leered up at them. A growl formed in her throat and the sound struck fear into their hearts. Cynder thrust her head forward with her jaws opened wide. A thunderous roar rolled across the sky and the guardians all had to cover their ears, except for Tremor who held his head close to Stella's.

The black dragons shrieked and hollered in pain. When they looked down at Cynder, she hissed and spat venom at them. The black dragons scattered and fled. Cynder spread her wings wide and took off after them. The dragons, seeing that she was chasing them, began to panic and beat their wings faster, trying to get away from her. After a short chase, Cynder stopped and let their cries disappear into the distance. As she glided back to her friends she reverted to her normal state. The guardians drifted to the ground and Candice helped Tremor lower Stella onto her feet.

The lightning dragoness was a tired mess. She was covered in minor cuts and bruises, the worst of which being the burn above her shoulder next to her wing.

"Hey, where did you find her?" Sparx commented as he flew up to meet them. He looked at Tremor, then to Candice then back to Tremor. "I thought you already had a girlfriend. Now you're picking her up too?"

Tremor's cheeks burned for a moment then a smile spread across his face. "I didn't pick her up, she threw herself at me." He gave Candice a wink; the ice dragoness just rolled her eyes.

"Stella, are you alright?" Spyro asked worriedly.

"I'm alright," Stella gasped. She was suddenly hit by another wave of pain and her legs buckled. Tremor bucked down and caught her on his back just before she hit the ground. He gently set her down and scraped up a mound of soft earth for her to lay her head on. "I got worked." She whimpered as she let the force of gravity sink in. She cringed as her ribs throbbed even more. Tremor felt her shudder through the ground and began to pat the earth beneath his feet. Stella felt the ground she was laying on soften from Tremor's patting. She sighed, glad to finally be at peace for a short while.

"Are you comfy enough?" Tremor asked as he leaned down to nudge her cheek with his snout.

"I'm well for now." Stella sighed as her exhaustion began to take over.

"Well if you need anything... just ask."

"Thank you..." Stella whispered as she began to drift off to sleep. Tremor sighed and stepped back beside Candice. The ice dragoness glanced at him sidelong for a moment then turned her attention back to her friend. Ember walked over and rested a paw on Stella's side. The lightning dragoness's side heaved from the contact but she wasn't planning on waking up any time soon. Ember's paw began to glow as she started to heal Stella's wounds.

"She must have managed to escape wherever she was being held," Flame pointed out.

"And that says a lot." Cynder nodded. She felt bad that her friends had to suffer so much because of her. "She really is an amazing dragoness."

"I agree." Tremor nodded and Candice bobbed her head once.

"Where do you think those other black dragons are fleeing to?" Spyro asked as he turned to Cynder.

"They probably are heading back towards..." Her voice trailed off.

"Towards what?" Spyro pressed her a bit more.

"I'm sorry Spyro!" Cynder gasped and turned away from him, I need to go. Now!"

"Wait! Cynder." Spyro jumped in front of her. "I don't understand. What's wrong?"

"I have to head back to the wolf's village. There's a prisoner there I need to take care of. He's the reason I've been able to acquire this new power. He's the one helping me to protect you."

Spyro hesitated for a moment. He hated not having Cynder at his side. But he knew what was at stake and he nodded reluctantly. "Alright then. Be careful."

"Thanks. You too." Cynder nodded. Before she could go Spyro pressed his lips to hers. Sparx and the other guardians averted their gaze; the dragonfly just shook his head.

"My little brother is growing up." He chuckled to himself.

"Good luck Cynder." Spyro gazed into her teal-colored eyes that seemed to be shining like crystals in the moonlight.

"You too Spyro." She blushed slightly as she spread her wings and leaped into the air.

"Call me if you need me!" Spyro hollered after her as she disappeared into the night. He flew up just over the tree tops and watched as her silhouette began to shrink in size.

"I will!" The dragoness's voice was already faint. Cynder let loose an energetic roar as she transformed again. She spread her massive wings and beat them harder against the wind. She would have to move fast if she was to get to the village and free Exile before any of the other wolves began to catch on.

"I just hope there's enough time." She whispered to herself.


	56. Chapter 55

Cynder arrived back at the entrance to the wolves' cavernous village within a few hours flight. She paused outside the cave entrance and panted heavily trying to get her wind back. She remembered her mentor's words in her mind and inhaled deeply, calming her senses. Almost immediately she began to feel her mind return to its tranquil state. She could hear the sounds of the forest beyond the cave and the nocturnal birds and insects singing their routine songs. But there was something that puzzled the dragoness: that was all she could hear.

Cynder shrank back to normal and entered the cave. She looked around expecting to see a cluster of wolves standing around but found none.

"Well, that makes things slightly easier," She thought to herself as she ducked into the shadows of a nearby adobe hut. She poked her head out and scanned the cave walls. There were fires lit, but no signs of any movement. Cynder's lip curled suspiciously but she continued on. She crouched low to the ground and merged into the shadows. Like liquid she slipped from one hut to the next, keeping a close watch on the cave walls and waiting for any signs of movement.

Soon she reached the entrance to the catacombs. As she emerged from the shadows she looked back over her shoulder. "Where the hell is everyone?" She pondered to herself. She hadn't as much as come across the slightest resistance. Not even so much as a yip could be heard within the vast cavern. "I hope they all just decided to leave for Munitions Forge." She muttered to herself as she walked through the busted doorway she had created before. The darkness of the dungeon seemed exceptionally cold this time and Cynder shuddered.

As Cynder entered the cell block she sniffed the air. There was something different about it yet still familiar. She crept up to Exile's cell only to find the doors opened. Cynder's eyes grew wide when she found no trace of the old wolf.

"Looking for someone?" A voice sneered and Cynder jumped with a startled yelp. "You won't find any wolves around here. I sent them all packing, just in case you decided to show up here again."

"Who's there?" Cynder demanded, her teeth bared. "Show yourself now!"

The voice laughed in amusement and Liun stepped out of the shadows.

"Liun?" Cynder cocked her head to the side. "What are you doing here?"

The black dragon only laughed. "The answer to that, my dear Cynder," The distortion in his voice took on a more maniacal tone as Malefor's consciousness rose up within the young dragon. "Is that I'm here to kill you."

Cynder felt her blood run cold as two words came to her mind.

"Oh no."

Time seemed to drag on for Spyro and the other guardians. Hours had passed in relative silence as Ember went about healing the wounded lightning guardian. Flame had started up a new fire to help keep them warm. Meanwhile Tremor and Candice were out hunting, hoping to stumble across a creature in the night while it slept. As they walked on through the trees Candice kept making side glances at the earth dragon. After what seemed like the hundredth time Tremor finally spoke.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm just thinking." Candice shook her head.

"About..."

"It's nothing," Candice insisted.

Tremor stopped and wrapped his clubbed tail around her hind leg. "Candice, you wouldn't let me get away with pulling that kind of stunt, and I'm not going to let you do it either. What's on your mind?"

Candice sighed. "I don't know. I guess I was just a little taken aback by how you were acting with Stella."

Tremor's brows jumped in surprise. "Are you jealous?"

"N-no," Candice stammered. Tremor just stared her in the eye. "Alright fine! Maybe a little."

"It's alright." Tremor chuckled and gave her a playful shove. "But you do know why I was volunteering to help her out so much right?" Candice shook her head. "Because I feel that if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have you right now."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Candice looked at him skeptically.

"When I beat the crap out of Liun I found Stella off to herself and we ended up talking about you..."

"Me?" Candice felt her cheeks flush.

Tremor nodded. "I wasn't sure if I should give up on loving you. But Stella kind of convinced me otherwise."

"She did?" Candice looked back towards the campsite then back to Tremor. The earth dragon seemed to sense the sadness in her voice. Candice hung her head. She knew that it was her fault that Tremor had nearly been killed, and now she had almost made him give up on loving her.

"Hey!" Tremor raised her chin up with his paw. "I'm not mad at you," He whispered as he gazed into her violet eyes. "I'm just thankful I took her advice and didn't quit."

A tear fell from Candice's eye. "Me too." She choked back a sob and without another word pressed her lips to Tremor's in a deep kiss. Tremor leaned into her more and the two let the sounds of the nightlife swirl around them.

Back at the campsite Spyro continued to stare off into the distance.

"Hey Spyro, you alright?" Flame asked. His friend hadn't so much as moved a scale since Cynder had left.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." Spyro nodded without so much as looking at the fire guardian.

"She'll be fine." Flame tried to assure him after another moment of silence passed.

"I hope so Flame." Spyro sighed. "I just never know with the Dark Master." Spyro trusted Cynder but deep down he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen soon.

Cynder slammed against a wall. Liun lunged at her again and the dragoness ducked. Liun smashed head first into the wall, nearly knocking himself unconscious. Cynder bit down on his tail and flung him through the nearest hut. The adobe crumbled into dust as Liun rolled across the floor of the cave.

The fight had begun in the dungeon but had quickly escalated out of control. The two black dragons had destroyed the catacombs deep under the village and were wreaking havoc throughout the main chamber.

"Die!" Liun fired a concentrated stream of mark magic only the have Cynder dodge it. The beam burned straight through the rock leaving a charred hole in the stone.

"You first, you bastard!" Cynder charged Liun again as he charged up another shot. At the last second she vanished into the shadows as the beam fired overhead. Liun felt a crushing pain in his gut as Cynder burst up from the shadows below him. Cynder knocked him into the air and drop-kicked him into another stone hut.

Liun fired a black bolt. Cynder moved her head to the side slightly allowing the attack to miss her by mere centimeters. She took in a deep breath and released a shower of venom across the pile of rubble. Liun burst out from under the stones and shot into the air just as the stones began to melt.

"That was too close." He thought to himself.

Cynder flapped her wings hard and sent a gust of wind up at the enemy dragon. The wind caught Liun's wings and sent him spinning out of control. Cynder focused the wind to her back and flapped again, propelling her into the air as well. Liun looked down in time to get slammed into the roof of the cave. He coughed on his own blood as a small stalactite jammed into his back, breaking a rib. Cynder dug her long talons into the stone and locked herself to Liun.

"How could you join the Dark Master!?" Cynder shouted her eyes blazing with red fury. She head-butted the black dragon causing his head to snap back and hit the stone ceiling again. "After all we've done for you!" She drove her knees into his gut, forcing the wind out of him again. Her tail flexed dangerously and she drove it deep into his side. Liun let out a howl and spattered Cynder's face with blood. The dragoness ignored his cries. She wanted his blood; bad. She bit down on his shoulder and shook her head violently, savagely tearing his flesh away.

At last Cynder dislodged from the ceiling and yanked Liun with her as she plummeted towards the floor. She flapped her wings once creating a swirling vortex of wind that rocketed them even faster.

"Take this!" She shouted and plowed Liun into the roof of a hut and into the floor of the cave. The ground shook from the impact and several stones from the ceiling fell onto the village below.

Cynder blew the dust and debris away allowing herself to get a clear look at the cave floor. It was littered with smashed huts and demolished boulders. She snorted in disgust and spit a glob of venom onto the floor below. As the stones began to melt away from the acid Liun broke free from the wreckage. Cynder's eyes widened in surprise but she managed to keep the same stern glare fixed on the black dragon.

Liun shook himself, sending more blood flying. He looked up at Cynder and smiled. "That was a good shot. You've definitely gotten stronger over the past two years." Malefor's voice came from the young dragon's mouth.

"I wish I could say the same," Cynder hissed, black flames flickering around the edges of her mouth. "But I'm glad to know I can still kick your sorry, scaly ass even without Spyro's help."

"Oh you think so, do you?" Malefor sneered and Liun's voice turned to normal.

"Get her!" He ordered.

"What?" Cynder turned to see a pack of wolves lunge from the shadows along the cave walls. "Damn it!" She curled into a ball and dropped below them. The wolves collided together in midair and scrambled over each other as they fell towards the ground. Cynder hit the floor and rolled away as the canines fell in a disgruntled mess. The sounds of bones breaking could be heard over the snarling and yelping. Cynder blew as hard as she could and another tornado sucked the wolves up off the ground. They howled helplessly as they were spun around in sickening circles at blinding speeds. Cynder's tail twitched slightly before she leaped into the center of the vortex. She let loose a terrifying roar as she unleashed a burst of convexity. The cries of the wolves died away as they vanished for good, their ashes blowing across the cavern.

Cynder breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to Liun. He was gone. The black dragoness looked around the cave floor searching for any sign of him but found none.

"Why you sneaky little bastard!" She cursed and a puff of shadows blew from her nostrils. She sighed as she drifted back down to the floor of the cave. The cave was suddenly quiet again and Cynder began to feel the discomfort of loneliness settling in again. "I hope Exile got away at least."

"I think you should be more concerned about yourself," Liun growled as he emerged from the shadows under Cynder.

"Shit!" Cynder cursed as she tried to leap away from the dark dragon but Liun had caught her off guard. His shadows wrapped around her legs, keeping her from getting away. The black dragon tackled Cynder to the ground and the two rolled over each other in a pile of hissing teeth and slashing claws.

"You're not getting away this time!" Liun snarled as a pair of mutated wolves came charging through the cave entrance.

"Damn! Reinforcements?" Cynder growled to herself and kicked Liun off of her. Liun fired a bolt of dark lightning, briefly stunning the black dragoness. Cynder staggered on her feet but didn't go down. The wolves had gained the time they needed and pounced on her, pinning her to the ground. Cynder snarled menacingly as her eyes began to glow red again.

"Hold her!" Liun snapped. Cynder turned her head to unleash her fear but the wolf clamped a hand over her mouth while the other pinned her neck to the floor. She struggled to free herself but the wolves held the advantage. They pinned her body down as she clawed at the stones beneath to try and get away.

Liun laughed in amusement as he watched her efforts to escape fail. "Save your energy, you're not going anywhere Cynder." The black dragoness glared daggers at him out of the corner of her eye as he approached her. His shadows spread across the floor and danced around him in a joyful fashion. As he walked up beside one of the wolves the beast held her head up in front of him so she was at his eye level. Cynder's eyes raged red with hate.

Liun only smiled. "You know, that's what I've always liked about you Cynder." He stroked her cheek with the back of his paw and Cynder tried to jerk away but was held fast. "You're such a strong fighter. I don't think anyone could ever physically hurt you..." He pressed his lips to hers in an impetus kiss. Cynder's eyes widened and she tried to scream and jerk away from him. Liun broke away from her and gave her the darkest smile he could muster. "But... "He paced slowly around the wolves until he was by Cynder's backside."I know of a way to hurt you and Spyro in a way you never imagined." Cynder's eyes grew wide with horror as she came to realize what he was saying. Liun's laugh echoed throughout the cave and his eyes flashed violet with evil intent.


	57. Chapter 56

Liun's laugh rang loud in Cynder's ears.

"No! This can't be happening!" She screamed in her mind. Liun took a slow step towards her and Cynder's heart began to race even more. "No! Stay away from me!" She wailed silently. Liun reached up and slowly dragged his claws down from her lower back to the base of her tail letting her feel the darkness of his plans sink into her. Dark magic began to surround the dragon's paw and spread across the rest of his body. The evil energy rose up overhead as Malefor began to take shape in the air above them. His ugly muzzle scrunched into a vile sneer. Liun stood up on his hind legs and placed his front paws on Cynder's hips.

Cynder felt tears fill her eyes and she squeezed them shut, not wanting to see what was going to happen. "No! Somebody! Anybody! Help me! Spyro! Help me!" She cried her thoughts carrying far across the forest beyond the cave.

Miles away, Spyro lay asleep beside the campfire. He had managed to get to sleep a little while ago but now he was beginning to twitch in his slumber. All of a sudden he heard a desperate scream ring inside his head.

"Spyro! Help me!"

The purple dragon's eyes snapped wide open. "Cynder!" He shouted.

"What?" The other guardians jerked awake.

Spyro's eyes flashed with convexity and his body began to glow with golden energy. In a flash he disappeared. Sparx, who had been sleeping on his back fell to the ground and woke with a jolt.

"Hey! What's going on?" He yawned as he looked around the circle of confused faces.

Spyro shot across the sky like a golden missile. He felt his dragoness's desperation and it had triggered something deep within him. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on; all he knew was that he needed to get to Cynder.

"Hang on Cynder! I'm coming!" His voice echoed across the time-frozen horizon.

Liun licked his lips in anticipation as he looked down at Cynder. "I promise you that this isn't going to be pleasant."

Cynder squealed desperately trying to get away. Liun moved himself closer to her tail and brushed it to the side. Cynder whipped her tail around and stabbed him in the back. Liun grunted against the pain.

"You bitch, you shouldn't have done that." He shrugged away from her blade and dug his claws into her hips. "You're going to suffer for that one even more now." He felt his hemipenes swell inside him as he glared down at the black dragoness.

Suddenly an infuriated roar echoed throughout the cavern. Liun, Malefor and the wolves paused and looked around. The wolves whimpered like little puppies and their tails tucked between their legs. Their grip on Cynder began to loosen but Liun snarled at them.

"Hold her damn you!"

Just then the earth shook. There was a loud crash and the thunder of breaking stone. The wolves yelped and stood up, grasping their weapons, ready to fight but also ready to flee. All of a sudden a large object smashed through the roof of the cave. The spiked boulder slammed into the ground, sending a ripple through the earth and knocking the wolves off their feet.

"What the hell?" Liun gasped. The boulder spun wildly and rushed towards them. Just before the ball hit, Spyro burst from his protective shield and fired an earth missile. The attack struck the nearest wolf in the chest and sent it smashing into the far wall.

The second wolf didn't have time to react to his comrade being hit. Spyro lunged and tackled the wolf to the ground and charged up a bolt of electricity. He fired at point blank range into the wolf's chest causing the beast to howl in pain as its heart began to beat out of control and suddenly burst. Spyro turned his blazing purple eyes on Liun and Malefor. Spyro snarled and bared his teeth. Liun took a cautious step backwards.

"Where did you come from? How?"

"Stay yourself!" Malefor snapped at the black dragon before turning back to Spyro. "You will soon be dealt with young dragon. This will be the final stage for you."

"You tried to hurt my friend and my mate," Spyro hissed, bolts of lightning cracking around his teeth. "That's unforgivable!"

"Spyro..." Cynder whispered as he took up a protective stance in front of her. "But you're..." She could see the way his faded purple scales were nearly turning silver.

"I know Cynder," Spyro muttered. He was already feeling exhausted from the use of his power. "And I don't care. I'm here to protect you like I promised."

Cynder stared up at him with pure awe and admiration in her eyes. She suddenly felt a new power rise up within herself as well. She got to her feet and took her place at her mate's side. Both dragons hissed angrily and spread their wings wide.

"Let's do this!" Liun growled and began to emanate with dark magic. Malefor roared and lunged for Spyro while Liun took after Cynder again. Both dragons crisscrossed paths and struck the opposite opponent. Spyro slammed his tail across Liun's face while Cynder unleashed a wave of black fire at Malefor. The dark dragons bellowed angrily. Liun hit the ground hard and Malefor shrank back from the attack.

Spyro and Cynder hit the ground running and charged in again. Spyro curled into a ball of earth and slammed into Liun. The black dragon cried out from the crushing force that smashed him into the wall. In reaction to his pain, Malefor hollered in agony as well.

"Spyro!" Cynder shouted as she unleashed another blast of shadow fire at the Dark Master.

"I'm on it!" Spyro nodded as he burst from his shield. He fired a volley of earth bullets at Liun who dove out of the way. The blasts hit the wall and cracked the stone. The entire cave shook violently as the stalactites began to fall all around the dragons. Malefor watched as the boulders came crashing down from the roof of the cave. Liun dove out of the way, nearly getting crushed in the process. Malefor turned back to Spyro and Cynder and glared at them before returning to Liun's body.

"Spyro! The cave!" Cynder shouted over the crashing rocks and rolled to the side.

"I know!" Spyro hollered back. He looked up in time to see a large boulder fall from the ceiling. "Look out!" He shoved Cynder out of the way and rolled away using his time control ability. Cynder hit the floor, surprised by the sudden speed of the purple dragon. Spyro got to his feet and looked desperately at her. "Get close to me! Hurry!"

Cynder ran over to him, dodging two more boulders in the process. Spyro draped a wing around her when she was close enough. "Spyro! I don't want to be frozen, trapped in a cave for another three years!"

"You won't be!" Spyro assured her. He began to glow with golden energy. Cynder felt herself lift off the floor as she hovered next to Spyro. As she looked around she saw the falling rocks begin to slow down.

"What's going on?" She cried.

Spyro didn't answer; he was too busy concentrating. The golden energy surrounding him and Cynder suddenly took off through the roof of the cave. Cynder watched as she and Spyro soared into the fading night sky. Down below she could see the wolves cavern village crumble to the ground. She wondered if Liun had survived the cave in. Her thoughts were interrupted when Spyro brought the orb to a halt above the forest. The golden light disappeared and the two dragons began to flap their wings naturally.

"What was that?" Cynder asked Spyro with wide astonished eyes.

"Purple dragons have the ability to control time." Spyro replied as he gasped for breath. "The chronicler taught me how to use this power just before the Night of Eternal Darkness." He gasped and stumbled in the air.

"Spyro!" Cynder gasped and dove to catch him.

"I'm alright," Spyro assured her, "Just a little tired."

"You're really getting weak aren't you?" Cynder gave him a worried look.

"It's nothing, really." Spyro gave her a smile to try and cheer her up. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Cynder felt hot tears at the rims of her eyes. She suddenly burst out crying and wrapped her arms around Spyro. The purple dragon grunted at suddenly having to carry her weight but said nothing about it. He hugged her close to him and kissed the markings on her head.

"I'll never let you down Cynder," Spyro whispered. "No one will ever hurt you as long as I'm alive to do something about it."

"I know..." Cynder sobbed, her tears dripping down her muzzle onto Spyro's chest scales. "I'm sorry I worried you. I was trying to protect you and I nearly got..."

"Shh..." Spyro murmured. "You're going to be fine. I meant what I said when I told you no one would hurt you. I'm just thankful you called me when you did."

Cynder looked up into his glowing amethyst eyes. "Called you?"

"Yeah. I heard you screaming for me to help you."

"Oh." Cynder felt her cheeks flush.

Spyro nuzzled her snout with his. "Come on. Let's get going. I'm sure the others are wondering where I disappeared to."

"Right." Cynder nodded. She gave one last look at the fallen mountain before turning back to the east.

Far below in the cover of the trees Liun burst free from the pile of boulders. He coughed and sneezed from the thick dust. He was covered in cuts and scrapes. Blood trickled from a gash across his forehead and into his eye. His left foot was bleeding badly but he ignored the pain as he glared at the two dragons flying away into the distance.

"What are you waiting for?" Malefor demanded. "This hunt is far from over."

Liun growled angrily. "They have no idea." With an aggravated heave he took to the air after Spyro and Cynder.

**Disclaimer:**

**I received many shocked notes and messages about the last chapter. I find nothing funny about sexual harassment or rape as I'm sure a lot of you do feel the same. I could never bring myself to write from Cynder's point of view to its full extent. All I can do is write from my own experience.**

**A lot of the events in AoH are based around events in my life. These past two were written after my best friend was taken advantage of and molested right under my nose, not even fifteen feet away from me and without me even realizing it until it was too late. The worst part is was that it was someone I thought was a friend and that I trusted from my childhood.**

**Chapter 87 was written because I still feel guilty to this day for not noticing something so horrible happening to my best friend in the world. Every day I wish that I could go back and redo the past and save her from such a horrible fate. This chapter was written as a reflection of my thoughts on what I wish I could have done. I wish I could have been a real friend and saved her and kept a closer eye on her.**

***sigh* At any rate, Cynder is lucky to have a purple dragon like Spyro around when she needs him. The actions Spyro takes I feel are very merciful for what Liun gets; I know. I wish I could do more to 'him' for what he did, but...*sigh***

**Certo: Later guys. I need a moment to calm down.**


	58. Chapter 57

"What should we do?" Candice asked as she, Tremor, Flame, Ember and Sparx all gathered together. "Spyro just yells Cynder's name and disappears? How does that even happen?"

"It was like he was there one second, then half a second later, poof!" Flame shook his head. "

"You don't think he got vaporized do you?" Tremor looked at the fire guardian who rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was a possibility.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Candice elbowed him sternly. "He must have gone off somewhere. I don't think he got vaporized or anything like that."

"Then where is he Candy?"

"I..." Candice fell silent.

Tremor smirked cocked his head to the side. "I thought so."

"Shut up." Candice smirked back at him. She wasn't going to let him get to her.

"So should we go look for him or what?" Ember asked.

"I say we should wait here." Flame suggested. "We shouldn't move Stella just yet. She needs to rest up."

"She's fine actually." Ember reported. "But I do agree with you, she does need rest."

"So I guess we're just supposed to sit here and hope for the best?" Sparx demanded. "I can't just wait for Spyro to show up when I have no idea what's going on with him."

"Sparx calm down." Tremor raised a paw.

"You calm down!" The dragonfly zipped over and swatted the earth dragon's paw away. "You don't know what Spyro and I have been through! Do you know what it's like to nearly lose someone you've grown up with all your life."

Immediately the other guardians were on high alert. Sparx had just tread onto forbidden ground.

"You did not just say that." Tremor growled and the ground shook angrily.

"Tremor!" Candice jumped in between the earth dragon and the insect. "Let it go! He didn't mean it!"

"My green butt he didn't!" Tremor snapped as his dragoness pushed him back. He wasn't going to waste time on Sparx out of his respect for Spyro.

"Sparx that's enough!" Candice snapped her head around to the dragonfly.

"Yeah." Flame agreed. "That was uncalled for."

Sparx clenched his tiny fists tight and his glow began to shine brighter than ever before. At last he let out a sigh.

"Yeah, you're right." He gave in. "I'm sorry Tremor. I... I just don't want to lose my best buddy."

Tremor sighed and the earth rumbled along with him. "I understand." He nodded. "I wouldn't want that to happen to you."

"Let what happen to him?" Every head snapped around to face the darkness of the forest. Tremor growled and jumped in front of Candice and Sparx.

To everyone's surprise, Spyro and Cynder stepped out of the shadows and into the firelight.

"Spyro! It's you!" Sparx cheered and zipped over to his brother, giving him the biggest hug his little arms could muster.

"Sparx, are you alright?" Spyro nuzzled his brother back. "I'm sorry to have just left you like that."

"You should be." Sparx pointed a finger at the purple dragon. "You interrupted a very nice dream of mine. And if I'm not fully rested by the morning, you're going to have to deal with the consequences."

"Oh great. Now we're in trouble." Tremor muttered to Candice.

Candice elbowed him again. "Well it's good to have you back." Her violet eye drifted to Cynder. "Both of you."

"Yeah." Cynder nodded bashfully. "I don't think I'll be going back to the side of Darkness anytime soon."

"That's good news for us." Flame chuckled.

"Take it with a grain of salt." A deep voice piped up.

"Who said that?" Candice asked looking around the circle of dragons.

"Not me." Tremor shook his head. He stared at Flame who turned to Ember, to Sparx who shrugged.

"Then who..." Spyro and Cynder looked at each other as they came to realize what was about to happen.

From out of the darkness a black dragon tackled Spyro from behind and bit down sharply on the base of his neck. Spyro cried out in pain before Liun twisted his jaws. There was a loud snap and the purple dragon fell silent.

"Spyro!" Cynder screamed. Liun whirled on her in a flash and struck her with his tail. The black dragoness flew back and slammed hard against a tree.

"You!" Tremor snarled and spread his wings as an open challenge. "Back for more are you?"

"Hardly." Liun sneered. He opened his jaws wide and unleashed a beam of dark magic. The blast struck Tremor in the chest, knocking him into Candice. The two dragons flew backwards, smashing through dozens of trees before skidding to a halt unconscious.

Flame let out an angry roar and lunged for Liun's throat. The black dragon spun around and struck the fire guardian across the face with his tail. Ember snarled furiously and sprang into the air, a fireball forming at the back of her throat.

Shadows spread out from Liun's body and the darkness of the forest seemed to reach out for the pink dragoness. Before she realized what was going on, Liun's shadows had Ember tangled in their grasp. The dragoness began to cough and wheeze as she was being suffocated. She gave a gurgled gasp and fell limp. Liun hurled her body into the ground and stood over her, claws ready to slash her throat.

"Get away from her!" Liun turned as the angry fire guardian lunged at him. Flame swung with his left hoping to catch the black dragon in the head. Liun took the blow full force and staggered back. Flame charged again and knocked Liun to the ground. The red dragon reared his head back, intense flames lapping the brim of his mouth. He unleashed a powerful wave of fire as Liun countered with his own dark flames. The air boiled from the intense heat. Sparx, who had been trying to wake Spyro up, was forced to flee from the scene; less he stay and be burned alive.

Liun smiled wickedly as he and Flame battled for supremacy. Flame's eyes flashed red and the fire-like markings on his body blazed in the night. The sudden surge of power forced Liun back. The black dragon's eye widened and he dug his claws into the earth to brace himself against the power that was beginning to overwhelm him. With another roar Flame gave another push, nearly forcing Liun's own breath back down his throat.

Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, The shadows of the forest leaped out again. The darkness wrapped around Flame's neck, suddenly cutting off his fire. Liun released another blast of Dark lightning and burned a hole in Flame's chest. The fire guardian didn't so much as utter a cry. The red markings faded away as did his consciousness. Liun tossed him away before turning back to Cynder who was struggling to get to her feet.

"I'm going to do what I should have done straight away." He snarled. "No more mistakes."

"Do your worst!" Cynder spat as her right leg gave way.

"As you wish!" Liun sneered. Without warning he spun around in blur of motion. Cynder was struck across the face and knocked against another tree. Her head rocked and she saw stars. There was a loud "thunk" and a sudden tightening in her chest. The dragoness coughed hard, spattering blood across the ground. Cynder looked down with wide eyes to see Liun's tail blade had rammed straight into her chest. Her blood poured over the tip of his blade and across his tail. Liun smiled at her maliciously and yanked his blade out of her causing the dragoness to scream as she collapsed to the ground, instantly covering it with her blood.

Liun spat on her and turned away, allowing his tail blade to swat her across the face as a last act of disrespect. It was then he noticed Stella laying there still unconscious. "Hm..." He thought to himself and stooped down to stare at her her.

"Don't touch her!" Cynder hissed, spitting more blood from between her teeth.

"And what are you going to do?" Liun laughed. "Stop me?" He summoned the shadows of the night and picked the limp lightning dragoness up. "She's coming with me." Cynder watched helplessly as he walked over to Spyro's body with Stella floating lifelessly in the shadows behind him.

"No...no!" Cynder wheezed. Her breathing was growing more forced. She struggled to lift her head but it felt so heavy she couldn't muster the strength.

"This is the end for you guardians." Liun growled as he hefted Spyro onto his back. "When we're done, I'm going to make the world burn by my wrath." Malefor's voice began to resonate deep inside the black dragon's voice.

"No..." Cynder's muscles twitched as she tried to get up.

"Goodbye Cynder!" Malefor laughed. The young black dragon's body became shrouded in dark magic as he spread his wings. With a few beats of his wings, he got into the air and hovered over the destroyed campsite. With another snort he flew off towards the northwest with Spyro draped over his back and Stella trailing behind in the wake of his shadows.

"No... Come back!" Cynder choked, her voice nearly inaudible. Tears streamed from her eyes; not from the pain but from sheer helplessness. She tried with all her might to rise off the ground but she had lost too much blood. "Spyro..." She whispered. "I'm sorry...I failed you..." She gave a weak sob as she lay dying beneath the tree.


	59. Chapter 58

Sparx's jaw dropped when he saw Cynder get rammed through by Liun's tail blade. He turned away and began to vomit profusely. He felt so weak and helpless just watching his friends get their tails handed to them by the jerk who hurt his brother before and insulted their family.

When he finally was able to stop himself he heard the beating of wings overhead. He looked up to see the black dragon retreating across the sky carrying Spyro with him. His shadows spread out from his body as he carried the unconscious Stella along with him. Sparx turned back to the campground and looked around. Flame and Ember were crumpled upon the ground; Tremor and Candice were nowhere to be seen. It was then Sparx's eyes fell upon Cynder. The black dragoness lay motionless under a large oak tree, her blood staining the dirt beneath her.

"Cynder!" He shouted and flew over to her. He looked at the wound in her chest and nearly barfed again. "No! Gotta stay focused here! Uh... Cynder! Cynder! Wake up!" He urged rubbing scales on the dragoness's cheek. "Cynder! Come on girl, you've got to wake up!" Cynder moaned slightly and her eyelids twitched faintly but didn't open.

"Cynder come on!" Sparx was getting desperate now. "Wake up! He drew his arm back and threw the hardest punch he could muster into the side of the dragoness's muzzle. A ripple of pain swept through his arm and he clutched at his throbbing fist. The dragonfly looked around the campsite. "Ember!" He snapped his fingers as an idea popped into his tiny head. He zipped over to her body and pushed against her cheek.

"Hey Ember! Get up! Let's go! We need your help right now!" The pink dragoness remained silent. "Wake up!" Sparx shouted at the top of his lungs. He reared back again and swung with all his might. His fist connected with Ember's nostril and got stuck. "Son of a!" Sparx cursed as he struggled to free his hand from her nose. As he started to pull the tickling sensation began to wake the fire dragoness.

"Ah...ah..." Ember was beginning to return to consciousness. Sparx noticed and began tickling her nose even more.

"This should get her up." He thought to himself.

The tickling grew more intense and Ember was nearly fully awake.

"Ah...AH!" Ember's head began to raise up, carrying the dragonfly, still stuck in her nose.

"Uh oh!" Sparx gulped and his pupils dilated.

"AHHHH!" Ember's mouth opened wide and Sparx could feel the heat that was coming from the back of her throat. At the last possible second he managed to squeeze his little hand out of her nostril and roll to the side. "CHOOO!" Ember gave a thunderous sneeze as flames billowed from her nose and mouth.

"That was too close." Sparx breathed a sigh of relief and wiped his forehead with the back of his palm. Then he looked disgusted and tried to wipe the snot off of his hand.

Ember's vision began to clear up. She looked around to see her mate lying still in front of her and her heart nearly stopped as her memory came flooding back to her. "Flame!" She cried and dashed over to his body. "Flame! Wake up!" She shook him hard. "Please Flame! Answer me! Anything!"

"Ember wait!" Sparx interrupted flying up in front of her. "We have bigger problems right now!"

"Like what?" Ember demanded. "We can't save him if he's dying."

"He's not the one you need to worry about right now!" Sparx snapped.

"What?" Ember's face scrunched into a disgusted look. She couldn't believe Sparx had just said that to her. The dragonfly pointed across the campground at Cynder and Ember's eyes grew wide. "Oh no..." Her voice trailed off as she began to fall into shock.

"Hey. Hey!" Sparx called and pinched the dragoness in the shoulder. Ember jolted back to reality and stared down at him. "You work on Cynder, I'll try my best to get your little hot-shot to wake up. Deal?"

"Uh! Yeah!" Ember nodded as a subtle smile tugged at her mouth. "Thank you Sparx."

"Thank me when you've got Cynder back!" Sparx waved as he turned back to the fire guardian.

"Candy?" A soft voice called from the darkness. "Candy, can you hear me?"

"Tremor?" Candice moaned. Her head was spinning and pounding. Her eyelids quivered slightly before opening. She saw two blurry figures hovering over her head; one green, the other red.

"Good, she's starting to come to."

"Huh? Tremor? What's going on?" Candice whimpered as she clutched at her throbbing head.

"Easy now Candy." Tremor whispered softly. He rested a paw on top of hers while giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "You need to take it easy. You took quite a hit back there."

"Hit?" Candice shook her head a bit as her vision started to clear.

"Can you stand?" Tremor positioned himself beside her in case she needed help getting up.

"I...I think so," She groaned. Her body shook as she started to rise.

"I gotcha." Tremor assured her as he stooped his shoulder underneath her for support. Candice took in a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of frost. She looked around to see Ember sitting on her haunches with Sparx hovering by her side. The pink dragoness held Cynder's body in her arms not making any sound whatsoever. Candice took a step towards her and Flame cut her off with his wing. The ice guardian looked at him and he shook his head.

"What's going on?" Candice whispered worriedly, trying not to break Ember's concentration.

"She's trying to save Cynder," Flame sighed sadly.

Candice's heart sank. "Any luck?"

"She's been at it for over an hour." Flame turned back to his dragoness; her body shrouded in a faint golden glow. "I think she might be able to pull Cynder through."

"Are you sure?" Candice glanced at her friend's limp body.

"If anyone can, it's Ember."

"Yeah." Tremor nodded. "I mean, she brought me back didn't she?"

Candice smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Point taken. So what do we do in the meantime?"

"We wait." Flame sighed sadly.

"What for?" Tremor demanded. "Liun and the Dark Master have Spyro. We can't let them get their slimy claws on his powers." He looked back at Cynder, Ember and Sparx with an exasperated sigh. He suddenly felt tired as he looked back at Flame with a look of weak determination shining faintly in his eyes. "I think some of us should go on ahead to deliver a first strike to try and get Spyro back. The rest of you guys can follow when you're done here and..."

Tremor was suddenly interrupted by a loud gasp. The three guardians turned to see Cynder jerk straight up and cough hard, releasing the blood that still resided in her throat. Ember held the dragoness as she rolled onto her side, forcing the remaining blood out. The puncture wound in her chest had stopped bleeding and was healing slower than desired but it was enough to keep her alive and awake.

"Cynder!" Candice called out and rushed to her side. "You're okay!" She sighed with relief when Ember began to help the black dragoness to her feet.

"I wish I felt the part." Cynder wheezed, the taste of blood clinging to her tongue and the back of her throat.

"It's still good to have you back Cynder." Sparx patted her on the head. "I was worried I'd have to tell Spyro we'd lost you."

"Spyro..." Cynder's head sank. "I wasn't able to protect him after all."

"Don't say that!" Tremor butted in fiercely. "It wasn't your fault to begin with."

"Yes it was!" Cynder protested. "I brought Liun back here! I thought he didn't survive our last encounter but he did and now Malefor has Spyro!"

Tremor glared at her and pressed nosed to hers, displaying his full height. "It wasn't your fault!" He growled and backed off a step. "And even if it was you don't carry the entire blame. We all failed to protect Spyro."

The other guardians nodded shamefully.

"Yeah Cynder, we're all in this together," Sparx pointed out. "No matter how much danger you guys seem to attract, I've never left you guys before."

"Exactly." Tremor nodded.

"So what's the plan?" Flame asked, insinuating that Tremor was going to lead this operation.

Tremor nodded taking the cue from the fire guardian. "Cynder," He looked to her for advice. "You said Malefor is headed for Munitions Forge, right?"

"Yes." Cynder nodded. "I'm certain that's where he's taken Spyro.

"Then that's where we'll be going. Now I know Liun and Malefor aren't going to make this easy on us. There's no way we'll be able to just walk in and take Spyro back. He and those wolves are going to try and stop us every inch of the way; they're going to try and kill us before we even get near Spyro. But I say it's about time we showed Liun and Malefor who they're dealing with!" Tremor puffed his chest out to show his boldness. "Now let's go get our friend back!"

"Good idea." Cynder nodded approvingly. "Let's go get Spyro back!"


	60. Chapter 59

The flight to Munitions Forge was long but the time seemed to race by as the guardians shot over the ground. Each young dragon had a new power and resolve. Behind them the sun was already rising, but far ahead the young dragons could see the black clouds of ash covering the sky and blocking out the sun. Already the tiny pieces of basaltic ash were hanging in the air around them; the ancient volcano was still active.

Cynder flexed her talons anxiously as they soared across the early morning sky. The fire breathers were both edging for a fight now and the air around them began to sizzle. Candice had suggested they take the lead and allow the rest of them to fly in the slip stream of the thermals they created. The ice dragoness flew in front of Tremor who wore the same stern look for the entire flight. He still wasn't fully recovered from his previous bouts so he was going to have to be in top condition for what lay ahead; they all were.

Spyro groaned as he began to regain consciousness. His head was spinning and his vision went by in blurry flashes. After a while he shut his eyes tight and struggled to rid the swimming feeling in his head.

"Feeling a little out of it there, Spyro?"

The purple dragon opened his eyes. His vision was still blurred and it took several minutes to focus. He was locked inside a cage that hovered approximately ten feet off the ground. The bars were glowing with green energy which was flowing into a violet crystal down below. When his sight finally cleared up he saw Liun staring up at him patiently on the ground below. The black dragon smiled when he saw Spyro's startled look.

"What's the matter? Surprised to see me?" He gave a mocking laugh. Spyro growled angrily at the black dragon. "Oh come now." Liun laughed. "You should know better than to waste your energy young dragon," Malefor's influence clearly present in his voice.

Spyro wanted to say something slashing to the dark dragon but wouldn't give him the pleasure. Instead he sat back on his haunches and sat staring hard at the black dragon. Liun only continued to smile as he paced around Spyro's cage.

"So bold aren't we Spyro?" He chuckled. "You fight so hard to protect this world and the ones you care for only to get yourself into these sorts of situations. Just when you think you've brought about the salvation of the world it plummets into darkness yet again." The black dragon stopped and leaped high on top of the cage, his tail swishing mockingly in front of Spyro's face as he stared down at him. "It's such an unending cycle. Don't you find it pointless?"

"Not when scum like you hangs about." Spyro growled.

Liun ignored him. "Why don't you just let the Dark Master take over?" He waved a paw to the surrounding area they were in. It was the same space Spyro had rescued Terrador from so many years before when Malefor had Cynder acting as his general. "You don't have to have the conflicting sides battling it out all the time. There are always losses on both sides. And for what? For one to triumph long enough for the other to rise up again? The cycle just never ends."

"It could if we try hard enough." Spyro glanced up at Liun who continued to smirk and let his tail sweep from side to side.

"I don't get you." Liun sighed, shaking his head. "You'll just die in the dirt working hard for Ancestors only know what. Probably something that would just get destroyed over time as it is. I say just give in to the Dark Master while you're still alive and have the chance." Then his eyes began to glow with convexity. "Or rather, while your dragoness still has a chance."

That did it. Spyro lunged for Liun through the cage bars. The black dragoon laughed as he jumped off the top of the cage and landed safely on the ground. Spyro glared daggers at him.

"Ah, so you do have some fight in you after all. Good, I was hoping that you wouldn't be too boring." With that Liun leaped up and slammed his tail into the side of the cage. The metal prison flew with surprising speed and shattered against the far wall. The bars shattered and Spyro fell to the ground. As he picked himself up, he laughed.

"Good job Liun. You've busted your own device." He shook his head and staggered to his feet. He was already feeling weaker from the power drainage. His scales had diminished in brilliance even more and were becoming a deeply faded hue.

"You think so do you Spyro?" Liun sneered as he walked up to him. "Look around you." Spyro glanced around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he saw the metal spikes extending towards the ash-filled sky. Now that the cage was busted, Spyro's energy was slowly being drained into the tips that curved over the crater like a cluster of sinister claws. The purple dragon began to space out before shaking himself back to reality.

"You see," Liun continued, "Your power is being drained as I speak. You're miles away from your friends and allies with no way out except through me. And since there's no chance that you'd be any sort of formidable match for me, you have two options left. To join me, or die. It's up to you."

The black dragon's smugness was beyond irritating to Spyro. "I'll never join you!" Spyro hissed and bolts of electricity crackled angrily around his mouth. "And I'll die before I let you anywhere near Cynder ever again!"

"Oh I'm sure you don't have to worry about your dear Cynder." Liun laughed. "I've dealt with her already."

"What?" Spyro's joints locked in place.

Liun held up his tail to show Cynder's blood on his tail blade. Spyro's heart sank and his jaw dropped.

"No!" He gasped in disbelief. "You...you didn't!"

"Oh but I did." Malefor began to surface again and Liun's eyes began to shine an evil yellow. "The other guardians I'm not certain about but your black dragoness I'm sure is quite dead by now. She tried so valiantly to save you but..."

Spyro slammed into Liun sending the black dragon skidding across the burned ground. Liun raised his head as Spyro charged forward. The purple dragon gave an agonized roar as he leaped into the air. Liun rolled to the side as Spyro slammed his paws down into the burning earth.

Liun coughed hard as the dirt and ash filled his lungs. Spyro emerged from the cloud of dust with eyes glowing white with hatred. His scales had turned darker than the night and purple tufts of convexity were flowing from his nostrils and mouth. A genuine fear struck Liun for a brief second before Malefor began to take over.

"Ah, there you are." He laughed. "I should have known it would only take Cynder to bring out your true nature."

"Shut up!" Dark Spyro bellowed, the distortion in his voice giving him an even darker persona. He opened his jaws wide and hit Liun with a blast of convexity. The black dragon soared back and slammed into the wall of the crater. Dark Spyro stood glaring at the hole in the wall as the dust and rocks settled onto the ground. Liun got up and shook himself.

"Good shot," Malefor sneered, "Now it's my turn."

Cynder and the other guardians stood on the beach of the island below Munitions Forge. They all stared up with wide eyes at the billowing smoke coming from the mouth of the volcano.

"Wow." Candice gulped nervously. She was beginning to feel somewhat light headed from the intense heat.

"You alright?" Tremor asked when she leaned against him for support.

"I think so." Candice nodded. "I wish there was drinkable water around here."

"I think water is the least of your worries." Sparx pointed out. "Look!"

Farther up on the side of the volcano they could see wolves pacing along the edges.

"Those things are worse than the apes, I swear!" Cynder hissed as black flames burst from her nostrils.

"Let's stay focused everyone," Flame interrupted, "We have a job to do. Now what do we do here Cynder? You know this place better than any of us."

"Right." Cynder nodded and began to scratch a picture in the volcanic rock that was the beach. "Okay, we're right here." She pointed to the spot on the volcano in the diagram. I'm not certain if the Dark Master has Stella and Spyro together or not. But if not then I'm certain he's using the prison block to hold at least Stella so he can keep Spyro isolated from any allies. The prisons are here in the middle section of the volcano on the northern side." She tapped her talon on the diagram. "We'll split into teams once we're inside. Flame, Ember and Candice will go try and find Stella. Tremor will come with me. If Malefor is keeping Spyro separated then I'm going to need Tremor's earth powers to find him."

"You can count on me!" Tremor nodded sternly.

"I know I can." Cynder smiled at him. It was then she noticed the worried and frightened look on Candice's face. They locked eyes and Cynder gave a silent apology. "We'll meet back here." Cynder continued, pointing to the central chamber of the volcano. "If you meet any heavy resistance after finding Stella, don't wait for us." She looked around the circle of faces. "Do I make myself clear? Do not wait under any circumstances. Malefor has the advantage in this place. We need to be smart about this." The others nodded. "Alright then. Let's get going."

"Hey what about me?" Sparx demanded.

"Do you really need to ask?" Cynder rolled her eyes. "You're going with Flame. You've been here before. They'll need your help and guidance."

"Oh." Sparx scratched his head sheepishly. "I knew that."

"We're following Sparx?" Flame raised a brow.

Ember laughed nervously with the other guardians. "We're doomed."

Before the dragonfly could say anything a thunderous explosion rocked the island and a bolt of convexity shot into the sky. The shot came from higher up on the massive towering volcano.

"We have to hurry!" Cynder called as she began to run towards the base of the burning mountain. "We're running out of time!"


	61. Chapter 60

"I forgot how big this place is." Sparx shuddered. He and the guardians had made the climb up the side of the volcano, slipping past the guards who were distracted by the periodic blasts of convexity shooting into the sky. With each one the situation grew more urgent as the guardians ducked inside the main entrance of the mountain. Inside it was even hotter than the air outside.

"That would make sense," Ember pointed out as they descended into the seemingly endless caverns and tunnels. The guardians had split into their separate groups several chambers ago. Now Flame, Ember and Candice were following Sparx deeper into the volcano.

"Would you guys keep your voices down?" Candice hissed. "We want to make this rescue as quickly and quietly as possible."

"Yeah I know." Sparx waved dismissively at her. He rounded a corner and almost immediately zipped back around, slamming into Flame's muzzle.

"What the..." Flame tried to speak but the dragonfly pulled his lips shut.

"Big...wolves...coming this way!" He whispered harshly.

"Move, move, move!" Flame hissed, pulling he dragonfly under his wing. The three dragons darted back down the hall and around the slight curve where they could see the hallway intersection. They held their breath as they waited for the wolves to pass. The long shadows of the wolves stretched across the floor and soon they appeared at the hallway crossing. Flame's eyes widened when they stopped and began talking to one another.

"Damn it!" Candice cursed as she peered around Flame. "We don't have time for this." She slipped out of hiding and into the open hallway.

"Candice, what are you doing?" Ember hissed urgently. The ice dragoness just looked at her.

"Cover me," She whispered. She began creeping towards the wolves and Ember suddenly understood what she was doing.

When she was close enough Candice inhaled deeply. She exhaled and sprang into the air. She landed on the closest wolf's back and drove him into the ground, snapping his neck in her powerful jaws. There was a quick yelp then silence. The second wolf stared down in shock at the dragoness and reached for his weapon. Before he could draw his blade Ember slammed into him, clamping her teeth around his throat and preventing him from sounding the alarm. The wolf gagged and sputtered on his own blood as he hit the ground. Flames came from deep inside Ember's throat and burned straight through the wolf's neck. The beast squirmed and writhed as the temperature increased. Ember bit down harder and focused on her fire breath. The flames spread across the wolf's body and burned it to a black crisp within seconds. Candice looked in disgust at the solid black mass that was charred wolf. Ember gave an even more sickened look as she spat the ash that was stuck to her tongue out.

"Good work you two," Flame complimented as he and Sparx rejoined them. He motioned for Candice to step away from the wolf she had killed. As soon as she was clear he unleashed a blast of fire, engulfing the body and burning it to nothing.

"Now that we're done disposing of corpses, can we get back to the task at hand?" Sparx crossed his arms impatiently.

"Patience is a virtue Sparx," Candice pointed out as they slipped back down the hall.

"Not in this situation it's not," Flame whispered.

"And plus it's not something I really picked up on growing up," Sparx added.

As they continued down the passageway the tunnel opened up into a vast central chamber.

"Whoa." Flame gasped as he and the two girls took in the expanse of the chamber. The cavern was almost like a giant honeycomb with multiple levels and stairwells leading to the other levels of the volcano's interior.

"Stay low!" Ember hissed when she spotted a patrol of wolves high above. The dragons crouched down. As they crept across the open path across the main chamber, each kept one eye on the on the overpasses and one eye on their direction. Candice dared to glance over the edge of their path and swallowed hard when she saw the fiery magma miles below. She shuddered and dug her talons into the rock with each step she took.

Sparx flew ahead down the corridor to see if the coast was clear. The dragons ducked inside and quickly caught up with him.

"Are we getting close?" Flame whispered.

"I think so." Sparx nodded. "See for yourself."

The dragons poked their heads around the corner. Standing at the far end of the hall was a pack of six muscle-bound canines. Each held a long spear and a poorly formed metal shield. They were lax on their watch and didn't even notice the intruders spying on them from down the hall.

"Looks like the mutts got some new equipment," Ember growled.

"So what do we do?" Candice asked when the ducked back around the corner.

Flame glanced at Ember for a moment as they read what the other was saying. They both turned to Sparx.

"What! Me?" He exclaimed.

"I see no better candidate." Flame gave a slight snicker.

Sparx sighed and his antennae drooped. "You know I sometimes hate you guys more than Spyro."

"We love you too Sparx." Candice giggled as she took up an offensive stance for what was to come.

The wolves remained ignorant of the impending attack as they went out their conversation. It wasn't until a glowing little dragonfly zipped into the middle of them that they stopped talking.

"Hey fellas!" Sparx waved nervously. The wolves barked in surprise and leaned in close to sniff the little insect. "Whoa hey!" Sparx jerked away from the wolves' wet noses. "Back off the merchandise buddy!" He slapped the nearest nose and the wolf yipped, shocked that the little dragonfly could deliver such a startling hit. Sparx swallowed hard as the beast growled at him with angry yellow eyes. The wolf snapped and missed. The other wolves hesitated not sure if they should take the insect serious or not. Sparx grabbed a small handful of whiskers from the wolf. With a startled yelp from his victim, Sparx yanked the long hairs from their roots. The wolf clutched at the stinging spot on his muzzle as tears came to his eyes. He glared at Sparx who was already flying back down the hall.

"Here boy!" He whistled playfully. "Come and get it!"

The wolves all barked furiously. They dropped their spears and shields and took off on all fours after the insect. The instant they all rounded the corner they yelped in fright. The cries of bewilderment quickly turned to wails of pain. The wolves flew back, pinned to the wall by Candice's ice spikes. A split second after, a wave of fire hit them, drowning their cries and burning every remaining trace of them away.

"Let's move." Flame thrust a paw forward. The dragons stepped carefully over the deserted weapons and down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, Sparx flew on ahead again.

"All looks clear." He shrugged after returning.

"Really?" Candice cocked her head to the side. The others looked at her inquisitively.

"What are you thinking?" Ember asked reading the look on her face.

Candice locked her fierce purple eyes with Ember's baby blues. "Something's not right. It's too easy."

"You're probably right." Sparx scratched his chin. "Cynder used to bait us all the time. I'm pretty sure that's what tall-dark-and-ugly is trying to do."

"Let me take a look." Candice pressed forward and slowly peered around the open chamber. Not a wolf in sight. She narrowed her eyes and sniffed the air but the ash and soot was all she could smell. She flicked her tongue out several times taking quick samples of the particles in the air. Dragon tongues were very sensitive tools for detecting anything in the world around them. Her Jacobson's gland on the roof of her mouth detected something her nostrils could not. The room was littered with the stench of canines. Candice ducked back into the hall.

"It's bad," She reported. She looked to Flame. "Swath the room. I'll handle the rest. Ember, you and Sparx standby."

Flame stepped towards the chamber. He took in a deep breath. With a piercing cry he released a super heated stream of fire across the floor of the chamber.

"Don't let up!" Candice placed a paw on his shoulder. Her tail twitched anxiously.

The air temperature began to rise and the floor began to glow yellow. Candice felt the bottom of her paws begin to burn and she immediately took to the air. The intense thermal from Flame's breath allowed the dragoness to hover just above the scorching floor with relative ease.

At last the wolves couldn't take the heat anymore. They burst through the stone floor with angry howls, throwing burning stones everywhere. No sooner had they emerged, Flame retreated giving Candice a clear shot at her targets. In quick rapid-fire succession the ice dragoness spat a shower of ice balls into the air. The spiked orbs began to melt almost instantly before shattering and covering the entire room in frozen spikes. The mutant wolves gagged and choked as the spears punctured their bodies completely through. Flame followed up with another wave to deal away with them. The mutants' bodies burned but didn't disintegrate like the others.

Flame paused for a moment when he saw this. His eyes narrowed at the bodies. "Ember, Candice. I want you two to wait here for me."

"What?" Candice hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

"Flame, are you nuts?" Ember demanded in a hushed tone. "We need to work together on this! You can't just leave us here because you're worried we'll get hurt! We know the risks just as well as you do."

"That's not it at all." Flame whispered back. "The wolves from here on most likely going to be those monsters we fought before. I need you and Candice to wait here and watch my back in case they come after me." He looked back at the scorching bodies. "We all know how hard they are to kill. We need to be smart even if they aren't."

Ember ground her teeth angrily and smoke came in angry rings from her flared nostrils. "Fine!" She muttered and poked him in the chest with her talon. "But you have better be careful yourself. You got that mister?"

"Anything for you Ember." Flame chuckled before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Come on Sparx, let's go."

"Aw man, why do I have to be the one who knows this place?" The dragonfly mumbled.

Dark Spyro slammed against the wall, bringing an avalanche of rocks crumbling down on top of him. Liun landed and gasped for breath. He was winded but not out of the fight yet. Purple beams of light broke through the pile of rocks and Dark Spyro burst free with an angry roar. Blood trickled from his forehead and into his eye. He could feel the blood from his nose and mouth flowing down his jaw to sizzle upon the burning rock. He was covered in cuts and gashes from the black dragon but he didn't care. He was going to make the dark dragon pay for what he did to his dragoness.

Liun took in a deep breath and spread his wings. Spyro growled and unleashed a wave of convexity. Liun countered with his own but Dark Spyro quickly overthrew him. The force sent Liun bouncing across the ground before he managed to dig his claws into the rock and brace himself against the immense pressure. His eyes flashed deep purple and he rolled out of the path of Dark Spyro's breath attack. Liun fired a single blast and missed. The ball of energy hit the wall behind the enraged purple dragon and exploded. Dark Spyro was hurled forwards from the force. Liun took the chance to leap in front of the reeling dragon and ram his hind legs into Spyro's gut.

The purple dragon coughed hard as the wind rushed out of him. He crumbled to the ground convulsing like a dying animal and gasping for air to return to his lungs. The ash was horrible and left him with a bitter taste in his mouth along with his blood. Liun walked over and pressed his claws down on Spyro's neck to hold him in place.

"I never knew how powerful your dark side was." Malefor pondered aloud as his dark energy began to spread from Liun's body. "It's a small wonder you defeated Gaul using it. And to think you were nothing more than a whelp when you did it." He laughed and Spyro's white eyes flashed. His cuts and slash marks began to release clouds of convexity. Liun felt his paw burn and he yelped in pain as he stepped off Spyro's neck.

Spyro swiveled his hips around and kicked the black dragon in the chest, sending him into the air. Liun spread his wings and recovered in time see Spyro rushing up after him. The black dragon fired a bolt of dark lightning that struck Spyro head on and glanced off his blackened scales.

"What the!" Spyro slashed him across the face with his claws and slammed his tail into the back of his head. Liun slowed his plummet to the ground but Spyro landed on him, driving a deep crater into the ground. He retreated back out of the crater and watched as Liun rose to his feet. "That was a pretty good hit." He groaned as he wiped his cheek. "You should have finished me off there Spyro. You know what your problem is?" He stepped away from the center of the hole. Liquid rock was beginning to seep up from a lava vein underneath and fill the crater. Liun licked his blood from his claws. "You're not strong enough to kill anyone. You couldn't even kill the Dark Master. And now look where it's gotten you."

Spyro roared and fired a beam of convexity. Liun dodged as he leaped into the air, a trail of magma trailing after him as he beat his wings up towards the darkened sky. Dark Spyro chased him with another beam of convexity. Liun looped around it and dove for the dragon. He fired a ball of dark magic catching the young dragon by surprise. The strike hit Dark Spyro head on. The explosion absorbed all the dark energy from the purple dragon and sent him flying through the air before landing on the ground.

Liun laughed as he felt Dark Spyro's evil energy merge with his own. "Wow! That's a lot of power you were wielding there Spyro! It's amazing! It's so...fresh! I love it!" He began to get a twisted look in his eyes as Spyro struggled to pick himself up off the ground. He was bleeding badly and his wounds were taking a much greater toll on him now that he had been drained of his dark energy. "I want some more!"

Liun charged the weakened purple dragon. Spyro opened his mouth to fire an earth bullet but only managed to cough out the last of his earth powers. He didn't have time to dwell on it when Liun slammed his paw into his gut causing him to cry out in pain. He buried his claws deep into his stomach inflicting even more pain upon his enemy. Spyro screamed and writhed beneath the weight of the dark dragon. He couldn't get away with his strength being depleted with each second that passed.

Liun bit down on Spyro's throat causing the dragon to gag and wheeze before hurling him high into the air. As Spyro's body sailed across the crater he seemed to feel as if time was slowing down for him.

"Cynder," He sobbed in his mind as tears began flowing from his eyes. "I'm sorry...I...wasn't strong enough...to save you..."

Liun's tail twitched in anticipation before letting out a blast of dark lightning. Spyro saw the attack coming but was too exhausted to fight back. "I guess this is the end." He wept silently.

Suddenly the lava inside the crater burst towards the sky. A ball of black fire intercepted Liun's dark lightning attack and the two forces combusted. The explosion sent Liun skidding backwards as he tried to dig his claws into the ground to keep from being thrown around like a rag doll. "What the hell!" He fumed. Suddenly an adult black dragoness burst through the tower of lava and slashed at the dark dragon. Liun dodged her long talons just in the nick of time.

Spyro wailed helplessly as he was sent spinning through the air.

"I've got you Spyro!" He felt something grab him from behind and steady him.

The purple dragon looked over his shoulder into the smiling green eyes of the young earth guardian.

"Tremor? How did you..."

"Save it for later buddy." He smiled. "We're here to get you out of here."

It was then that Spyro looked down and his heart nearly stopped. A large black dragoness hovered in the air between them keeping her furious red eyes on Liun.

Down below Liun was trembling in fear. "C-Cynder?" He squeaked like a frightened hatchling. "B-but it... it can't be!" His thoughts flashed back to the ambush attack. He had plunged his tail blade extremely deep into her chest, so how was she alive still? He noticed the mangled scales on her chest where his tail had punctured her. The wound hadn't fully healed but it was enough.

Malefor's consciousness began to take over the black dragon's mind again. "So you're back!" He growled, his tail lashing the air.

"C-Cynder?" Spyro wheezed. "Is that you?" The purple dragon could hardly believe his eyes. Tremor released him as he glided over to his over-sized black dragoness. "Am I dreaming?"

Cynder smiled. "No, you're not dreaming Spyro. It's me. You're going to be alright." Her eyes fell upon Tremor who nodded. The earth guardian landed on the ground and spread his wings wide. Liun growled and focused on the young dragon. Tremor staggered slightly and shook his head. He suddenly felt dizzy and weak in the knees. Liun noticed but kept the same killing glare on him.

Tremor leered back at Liun. "Payback time you bastard!" He slammed his feet into the burning earth. With a loud roar a wave of spikes burst up from the ground all around them. Liun jumped into the air long before the spikes reached him.

"Pathetic Tremor!" He laughed.

"Who said I was aiming for you?" The earth dragon scoffed.

"What?" It was then Liun realized what was happening. The spikes that curved over the area crumbled to the ground and the crystal containing Spyro's power was knocked into the air. "No!" Liun dove for the shard. Tremor leaped forward and slammed his clubbed tail across the dark dragon's head before grabbing the crystal. Liun crashed into the ground, destroying several of the large spikes upon impact.

"Go!" Cynder shouted urgently. "I'll hold him off! You know what to do!"

"Right!" Tremor nodded. "Come on Spyro, we need to get you out of here!"

"What? No! Cynder!" Spyro started to argue.

"Go Spyro!" The black dragoness ordered. "I'll be right behind you! I promise!"

"But Cynder!" Spyro shook his head. The black dragoness snatched him up in her massive talons.

"Spyro, do you trust me?"

Spyro was frozen for a moment; then he nodded. "I trust you Cynder."

The dragoness smiled. "Then go. I promise I'll never leave you again."

Tremor dove back towards the ground and fired an earth missile into the wall. He and Spyro darted through the falling rocks and back into the volcano.

"No! I won't let you take my power!" Liun roared as he burst free from the ground. He was interrupted by a blast of convexity.

"You're not going anywhere." Cynder hissed. "Now you face me at my real power!"

Liun froze again. The dragoness's eyes locked with his before Malefor intervened yet again. "So be it!" He growled as Liun's dark energy allowed him to manifest his own body. "I'll be sure to make sure you die this time!"

The two dragons roared in thunderous fury and lunged for one another.


	62. Chapter 61

Stella paced impatiently around her cell. The hours had passed by at a snail's pace. She had not had any contact with anyone other than the wolves that guarded her. The beasts were enthusiastic about watching her when she had first awoke but now they were beginning to grow bored. The lightning guardian tried to ignore them as several of the mutated canines bickered over food and who got to sleep where. The noise had gotten to her so much that she made an outburst of lightning fury upon her captors. The attack had proven quite useless as the wolves just shook off the electricity as if it were nothing at all.

"Damned mongrels." Stella hissed furiously as she continued to pace. The beasts had also been making a game out of jabbing at her with their long spears through the bars of the cage. Several had managed to break her skin and she had dealt them a stern lesson that they wouldn't forget when they woke up, if at all. The first wolf sat in the far corner clutching at his bleeding eye which had been stabbed out by the dragoness. He seemed to be wearing down from the loss of blood and the dragoness found a deep sense of satisfaction at the wolf's suffering.

He hadn't been the only one though. Several others had missing eyes as well and several had been taken away immediately when Stella had slashed their throats through the bars. The strikes hadn't been effective enough to kill them but it got the point across. After a while a larger wolf came down and barked several orders at his warriors about sending him more wounded than was necessary. He had given Stella a distasteful look and had spit on her before leaving. The guards had not bothered her since.

At long last she grew tired of pacing and flopped down at the back of the cage where she might be farthest from her captor's prodding spears and watchful eyes. She had been restless since she had woken up in this blistering hot place. She had deduced that she was being held inside the volcano at Munitions Forge. What she was still alive for was beyond her comprehending.

Stella closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself alongside her fellow guardians in the comfort of the dragon city. She missed home; not just the place itself but the warmth of security and comfort that came from living within the city walls. Stella sighed and began to drift into a light slumber.

Hours later, her nap was interrupted by a loud explosion and tremor that shook the cell block she was being held in. The wolves perked up at the noise and rumbles beneath their feet. A loud roar echoed throughout the caverns and Stella's head perked up.

"Flame?" She murmured to herself as she looked towards the dungeon entrance. Another tremor shook the walls around her. By now the wolves were fully alert and grabbing their weapons. The mutated canines started to clamber into the stairwell in a cluster of fur-covered bodies, shoving each other to get first access. The disorder cost them dearly. Another angry roar sounded from the stairwell and the wolves howled in pain as a giant wave of fire blew down the corridor. The bodies burned and Stella ducked behind her wing to shield herself from the overpowering heat.

When she peaked over her wing the wolves lay on the floor in a scorched mess of bloody, smoking bodies.

"Down here!" A familiar voice called. A gleaming yellow dragonfly appeared in the entrance to the dungeon and looked around.

"Sparx!" Stella yelled excitedly and pressed her face against the bars of her cage.

"There you are!" The dragonfly exclaimed and flew over to her cell. "Hey! I found her!" He called back over his shoulder. There was another loud roar and another searing wave of heat. Flame backed into the cell block area and spewed another wave of fire back up the stairwell. Another howl echoed through the chamber as he bounded over to Stella's cage.

"Good work Sparx." He panted stiffly as he examined Stella's cage.

"Use a key!" Sparx urged keeping an anxious eye on the stairwell.

"There's no time!" Flame shouted. He grit his teeth together and began to glow with deep crimson energy. Stella backed away from the bars between her and the red dragon as the fire-like markings spread across Flame's body. There was something about this power that frightened her almost as much as Dark Spyro. Flame focused his energy towards his paws and slashed the bars. Sparks flew, leaving deep gashes in the thick iron. He slashed again and again, each time burning through the metal even more. On his sixth swipe the bars shattered, falling to the ground with a loud clang.

"Stella are you okay?" Flame asked as his power subsided and his markings disappeared.

"Flame!" Stella tackled him giving him a relieved hug. "Thank the ancestors you guys are alright!" It was then that Stella noticed he had several cuts along the length of his body.

"Thank the ancestors that we found you in time!" Flame smirked back. "We're running out of time, we need to go."

"Right!" Stella backed off of him and followed him to the stairwell. Sparx led the two dragons back up the staircase.

"Where are the others?" Stella called as she clambered over the burned bodies.

"We all split up; they're waiting for us back in the main chamber of the volcano. We need to..." His voice faded away as a rumble shook the burning mountain. Flame, Stella and Sparx came to an abrupt halt at the top of the stairs. The corridor ahead was filled with mutant wolves. A growl from behind caught Stella's attention and she squeaked in fright, bumping into Flame. The bodies that littered the stairwell began to rise again.

"Oh come on!" Sparx whined. "Can't you guys just sit and stay like you're supposed to?"

"Something tells me this hasn't been the easiest task for you," Stella muttered as she took up a defensive stance at the top of the stairs, waiting for the wolves to charge.

"Nothing has been lately." Flame spread his wings and his markings illuminated the hall in a deadly crimson glow. "Sparx, Stella. Stay close to me."

"Got it." Stella nodded without turning away.

The dragons let out angry roars and attacked.

"Damn it! Where did these guys all come from!" Candice shouted as she side-stepped the attacking mutant. The slammed her tail across his face, leaving a wretched gash where his eyes used to be. The beast howled and staggered back clutching at his face as two more wolves pushed passed him.

"Who cares?!" Ember snapped and released a barrage of fireballs. The wolves burned as their bodies were sent flying in all directions. "We need to push them back to the main chamber! Flame will need a clear path to reach us when he finds Stella!"

"Easier said than done!" Candice hissed as she cut one of her attacker's inner thighs as she rolled between his legs. The wolf winced and dropped to one knee. A split second later, Candice's blade plunged through his throat. Another wolf reared up to pounce on the ice dragoness with claws ready for an instant kill.

"Duck!" Ember whirled around, sending a stream of fire into the canine's face. The wolf staggered forward, tripping over the two dragons before being knocked into his comrades behind Ember.

"Go!" Candice ordered and sprang over the mass of scrambling bodies.

"I'm right behind you!" Ember called and followed close. The wolves clawed at their bellies as they soared through the air. The two dragons reached another hallway intersection and paused to look around. It was then that Candice spotted a group of shadows coming towards them from their left.

"Go right!" She shoved Ember towards the hall and the pink dragoness took off running. Just before she followed after her Candice turned back to see the Alpha wolf emerge from around the corner. Snarl immediately noticed the blue dragoness and their eyes locked. Candice felt a fire burn deep inside her as she recognized who he was. She visualized herself locking her jaws around the Alpha's throat and crushing him beneath her might.

A sharp bark brought the dragoness out of her trance. Candice stepped back as her eyes began to glow white. She let loose a shriek as a beam of energy burst from her mouth, freezing the entire hallway intersection in a thick layer of ice. The dragoness hissed in spite and turned to catch up to Ember.

"We're not getting anywhere!" Stella cried. She ducked under a blade as it swished over her head. She sprang forward, slamming into the wolf and knocking him into a pile of his buddies.

"Sparx!" Flame called over the howling and barking. "See if you can find a way out of here!" The fire guardian slammed his tail against a falling sword, knocking the weapon away before delivering a concentrated burst of fire through the wielder's stomach.

"I'm fine with that." The dragonfly zipped over the heads of the mutants pushing against one another to get at the dragons. The bodies had all become a furry, snarling mass of weapons and limbs. Sparx flew on down the hall and saw no break in the wolves formation. "Oh no..." He gasped as his antennae drooped. He yelped in surprise as a wolf swiped at him from below. He rushed back to Flame and Stella who were being pressed closer and closer together in the cramped hallway.

"Well?" Flame grabbed a wolf's arm in his jaws and hurled him over his shoulder into Stella's group of attackers.

"There's no end to them! We're trapped!"

Stella finished off the warrior before her and turned a horrified look on the dragonfly. Flame breathed a wave of fire into the faces of the oncoming horde. He and Stella locked eyes for a second.

"Then we make our stand here!"

Stella bit her lower lip and nodded. "Let's give these guys a taste of what real power is!"

Another wolf lunged for Flame. He reared up on his hind legs and plunged his front claws into the wolf's throat. The wolf's eyes gaped in shock and blood spattered across Flame's face. The red dragon roared as the markings on his body burned bright. Behind him Stella let loose a piercing shriek causing Sparx to cover his ears. Both dragons released a wave of lightning and fire consuming every mutant wolf in their path. Their cries were overwhelmed by the roars of the guardians.

When the light and noise died down both dragons gasped for breath. The stone on the walls had been become as smooth as glass from the intense heat and concentration of energy.

"Did you get them?" Sparx asked anxiously.

"I hope so," Flame panted.

"We should move now," Stella advised and headed down the hall.

"Hey wait for us!" Sparx called as she disappeared around the first corner. Flame chased after the dragonfly as they tried to catch up with the lightning guardian. All of a sudden they heard a scream and Flame ran into an all out sprint. Sparx suddenly came to a stop right in front of him and was knocked into the mutant wolf's chest. As the dragonfly pealed himself off he stared up into the beast's gleaming yellow eyes. "Uh...Hi." He chuckled nervously.

The wolf swatted him out of the air. Flame jerked and caught the tiny insect in the membrane of his wing.

"Put me down!" Stella hissed furiously. The dragoness dangled helplessly by her tail in the wolf's strong grip. The beast only smiled as he raised his blade over his head.

"No!" Flame shouted and charged forward.

All of a sudden, the wall exploded. The wolf howled as the force sent him crashing through the opposite wall. His cries died out as he fell into the main cavern of the volcano. Stella coughed hard as she picked herself up off the floor. When the dust cleared Tremor and Spyro stood before them.

"What would you guys do without me?" The earth dragon smiled.

"I don't want to find out." Stella shook her head with a light smile.

"Come on!" Flame urged. "We need to get back to the main chamber. Candice and Ember are waiting for us."

"You guys go on ahead." Tremor thrust his head over his shoulder. "I'm going to stay here and destroy this crystal to make sure that Malefor doesn't get his claws on it."

"No way!" Stella gasped in shock. "You can't be serious!"

"I agree with Stella." Flame nodded. "We're not going to lose someone on a rescue mission!"

"This isn't a rescue mission anymore!" Tremor snapped. "If Malefor gets his hands on Spyro's powers then the whole world is at stake!"

"Tremor, we're not leaving you behind." Spyro placed a paw on his shoulder. Before the earth dragon could say anything a howl echoed down the tunnel.

"Go on you guys." Tremor stepped towards the hole he had made when attacking the wolf. "I'll buy you the time you need to get Spyro and Stella out of here."

"What do I tell Candice?" Stella asked, knowing full well what could happen.

Tremor just shook his head. "You don't have to tell her anything." The other guardians were silent for a minute.

Flame was the first to speak. "Tremor... in case...you know... I'm proud to have known you."

Tremor just rolled his eyes. "Get going you guys. You're running out of time." With that he dove through the hole towards the lava far below.

The others watched him glide down to the bottom. "Let's move out." Flame sighed sadly and led the way up to the main chamber.

Down below Tremor slammed the crystal he carried against a rock. The crystal chipped but refused to break.

"Damn it! You piece of junk!" He shouted furiously, slamming it harder and harder. "Why! Won't! You! Break!" At last he managed to crack the crystal. The energy from inside began to shine through its violet core. "I guess that works." The crystal began to quake in his paws and continue to split. The earth dragon turned and tossed the fracturing stone into the lava. An instant later the entire volcano shook violently.

Spyro, Flame, Sparx and Stella dashed down the corridors littered with the bodies of fallen wolves. They all staggered when they felt the volcano shake.

"What was that?" Stella asked looking around with wide eyes.

"My guess is it's either Cynder fighting Liun, or this volcano is going to blow."

"Huh, which would be the lesser of two evils?" Sparx scratched his chin as he pondered aloud. "Blown up by an exploding mountain, or being blown up by an insane black dragon. And I don't mean Cynder."

"We need to keep moving." Flame nudged Stella with his nose. "We should be close to meeting up with Candice and Ember.

"Goody." Stella muttered to herself.

The four of them pushed through the last line of dead bodies and out into the volcano's main chamber.

"Flame!" Ember cried and bounded over to him. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm alright." Flame sighed. "I'm glad to see you're safe too Ember." There was a certain tone of despair in his voice.

Candice came trotting up beside the pink dragoness and smiled at her friend. "It's good to have you back Stella." She smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"I've felt better," The lightning dragoness murmured.

Candice tilted her head curiously and looked around the group. "Where's Cynder and Tremor?"

"Cynder is fighting Liun to give us some time to escape." Spyro replied darkly.

The ice guardian began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach and she dug her claws into the stone. "Wh-where's Tremor?" She asked fretfully.

The other dragons looked at one another.

Ember looked at Flame but he turned his gaze away. "Flame?" She turned his face back with her tail spade.

"He's staying behind," The fire guardian replied with deep regret.

"What?!" Candice gasped and took a step back, shaking her head in disbelief. "No. No! H-he can't be!" The volcano shook again, more violently this time.

"Will guys come on?" Sparx demanded. "We have to blow this joint before it blows us sky high!"

"But you guys, we can't just leave him behind like that!" Candice protested.

"Candice, we have to go! Now come on!" Flame forced a determined stare trying to hide the pain he felt. He pushed past the ice dragoness and the others followed suit. Candice stayed where she was, shivering in shock and fear of losing her mate. She turned and walked to the edge of the bridged path they were on. Far below she could see Tremor standing at the edge of a lava pool staring into it. The earth dragon felt her eyes on him and turned to look up at her. He smiled sadly up at her; every time they were in danger he always seemed to notice her beauty even more.

"Good bye Candice," He whispered softly.

The dragoness shut her eyes tight as three tears dropped to the burning rock below. "Tremor, you have two minutes!" She shouted down to him. "Do you hear me?" Tremor simply continued to smile as the shaking of the volcano increased. Candice turned and ran after her team mates leaving Tremor alone with his thoughts.

He wasn't alone for long, however. The sounds of footsteps brought the dragon out of his daydream. He turned as a large group of mutant wolves came charging down the ramp that brought them to the bottom level near the lava pools. Tremor took up a stance and spread his wings wide. He let loose a roar and charged his attackers. He slammed the leaders across the face with his club tail. The wolf fell back into two others while Tremor sprang off its chest and drop-kicked the one behind it. Another wolf slashed with its weapon and Tremor dove to the side nearly tumbling into a pool of molten rock. He scrambled to his feet and leaped for the nearest wolf, latching onto its face and firing an earth bullet. The beast fell to the floor with its face bleeding profusely. Tremor leaped into the air and latched onto the far wall. He fired an earth missile, catapulting himself back over the wolves heads as a stream of lava burst from the rock. The mutants screamed as the melted rock burned them to nothing.

Meanwhile the other guardians raced through the halls towards the main exit of the volcano.

"We should be close!" Sparx called over his shoulder.

Suddenly the hallway collapsed in around them. The dragons skidded to a halt as the dust and ash filled their eyes and lungs.

"You're not going anywhere!" An angry voice snarled. The guardians hissed defensively as Liun stepped towards them. The black dragon was covered in blood and the sight nearly made Spyro's heart stop.

"Oh no you don't!" Another tremor shook the volcano as Cynder came crashing through the wall. She slammed a massive talon into the black dragon and the two smashed through the tunnel into the open vent of the volcano.

Liun squirmed free from Cynder's grasp and dove away from her.

"Your tenacity is admirable Cynder." His eyes began to glow like Malefor's. "But futile none the less." Cynder unleashed a ball of shadow fire, but Liun evaded the attack. He ducked low and plowed into Cynder's stomach. The dragoness felt the wind rush out of her as the black dragon slammed her into the wall. Her head rocked back and hit the wall making her see stars.

"This time Cynder," He brought his tail blade to the damaged scales on her chest where he had stabbed her previously. "I will be more thorough in killing you!"

Cynder watched as his blade twitched in eager anticipation. Suddenly the black dragon cried out as a bolt of lightning struck him from the side. A moment later Spyro hit him with a beam of convexity. The black dragon hit the wall of the volcano and plummeted towards the bottom.

"Cynder, let's go!" Spyro called as he hovered close to her.

"I'm with you!" She nodded and followed closely as he slipped back into the tunnel and towards their exit.

Tremor roared as he fired another earth bullet. A pillar of lava burst from the floor and caught the charging wolf by surprise. The dragon covered himself in stone and rolled on top of the spraying lava, causing it to spatter the remaining wolves. He yelped and burst from from his protective ball and hovered in the air. His paws were beginning to burn from the blistering heat of the stone.

The volcano began to shake repeatedly as the crystal continued to break apart releasing the massive quantity of Spyro's earth powers. At last the crystal shattered and the energy burst from its prison. Tremor braced himself for another wave of wolves but stopped when the lava pools around them began to rise.

"Uh oh..." He thought. He spread his wings and took off straight up the main shaft of the volcano. The ash stung his eyes and choked his lungs. He hadn't gone more than a few yards when he began to cough uncontrollably. He couldn't see or breathe anymore. He struggled to open his eyes but the volcanic ash hurt worse than sand. He continued to beat his wings against the air but his coughing refused to yield. At last he collapsed back down to the bottom. The wolves snarled and began closing in for their last kill.

"There it is!" Cynder shouted. She and the guardians rushed towards the exit. As they drew closer a trio of wolves stepped in their way.

"Move it!" Ember roared and released a shower of sparklers, blinding the canines. The guards howled in distress and clutched at their eyes. The dragons barreled through them, knocking them off the ledge before immediately taking flight. They soared out over the beach and didn't stop until they were a safe distance from the burning mountain. Once they felt safe they turned back around just in time to see the volcano erupt in an explosion of fire and lava.

"No," Candice cried silently. "Tremor." The guardians all watched in horror as the fire and lava burst from the mouth of the mountain. They moved away as the volcanic bombs began to fall all around them.

Stella flew over to Candice and placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Why?" The ice dragoness whispered. "Why does Tremor always have to be so reckless? Why did he have to play the hero this time?" Stella didn't answer. "Why?!" Candice shouted with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Because he loves you," Stella replied. Candice looked to her to find the lightning dragoness was crying as well. "He was willing to give his life to protect you. All of us."

Candice just shook her head. "He's such an idiot!" She sobbed. A large bomb hit the water close by causing the dragons to move away more. Candice stared down at the black water and watched her tears fall into it. "I hate you Tremor."

As the guardians grieved, a mysterious object caught Sparx's eye. He flew towards it a little and squinted hard through the ash and smoke. "Um, guys," He called nervously. "What is that?"


	63. Chapter 62

The dragons all stared up at the clouds of ash. Balls of fire and basaltic bombs rained all around them. Candice wept silently beside Stella who did her best to comfort her.

"I shouldn't have let him go alone." Flame shook his head.

"It's not your fault." Ember placed a hand on his shoulder. "We would have lost you too if you had stayed behind."

"But at least he wouldn't have had to die alone," Flame muttered. Ember bit her tongue to avoid scolding him for his language; now was not the time.

"Come on." Spyro spoke up after a long moment of silence between the dragons. "We should get out of here."

Stella nodded and turned to her friend. "Candice?"

The ice dragoness sniffled a few more times and wiped the tears from her eyes leaving streaks of soot across her face. "Give me a moment." She whispered. She gave one last look at the volcano, scanning the skies for any sort of sign that the green dragon had survived; a wing beat, a falling body, a glowing ball of earth, anything. The sky was empty. Candice sighed as the last of her tears fell from her eyes to the ocean below. She sucked in a deep breath and a determined look spread across her face. "Come on," She said as she flew past the other guardians. "We need to get Spyro away from here."

The dragons all looked at one another before taking off after her. Sparx glanced back over his shoulder. He had seen a slight disturbance in the color of the lava bursting from the volcano's mouth but the other dragons had paid him no attention. As the guardians followed Candice, they ignored the aftermath of the eruption behind them. The burning, red hot lava had turned to dark violet.

Spyro groaned as he lay down on the ground. His whole body ached and he was physically drained.

"Are you okay?" Cynder asked as she lay down beside him.

"You mean besides the obvious?" Sparx asked as he lay down beside his brother. Cynder gave him an annoyed look. It was then that she noticed Spyro was already fast asleep. She was surprised but understood the strain Spyro's body must have been going under. She kissed his cheek before laying her head across his neck. She looked around the group of guardians. Flame and Ember were curled around each other trying to stay warm. The night was unusually chilly. Stella was curled up next to Candice who lay awake, staring into the darkness. The ice guardian hadn't said a word the rest of their retreat. Her eyelids drooped; she was getting tired. All the guardians were tired from the constant fights and flights lately. Cynder sighed. Her fatigue began to take over and she quickly fell asleep.

Spyro groaned as he raised his head. His entire world spun for a moment before settling. The purple dragon looked around to see the other guardians fast asleep; even Candice. He looked down at Cynder who was still resting on his neck.

"Oh," was all the purple dragon could manage to say as he realized what was going on. He watched as his body lifted into the air above the trees. It was night again and the moons were already high in the night sky. Spyro turned towards the west and began flying, not even using his own wings. He was being carried by something he couldn't see towards a place he could only faintly feel in his heart.

The trees moved by slowly beneath the purple dragon but his speed began to quickly increase. Before he knew it, Spyro was simply a purple blur across the dark sky.

"Where am I going?" He asked himself.

The forest began to break up into patches and before long had disappeared completely leaving only fields of ice. Spyro continued flying into the mountains, keeping an eye out for anything eye catching. Mountain after mountain looked the same; large, cold and barren. The purple dragon sighed in despair. As if things weren't hard enough when he was awake, now he had to solve this new mystery of where he was going while asleep.

All of a sudden Spyro saw a shadow in the clouds above. Curious as to what it was he began to beat his wings to try and climb higher for a better view; but he was unable to gain any altitude. Up ahead, the mountains seemed to be getting higher, reaching towards the clouds to make an almost natural tower. Spyro looked back up at the sky to see the figure drop from the clouds. Spyro's jaw dropped; it was a dragoness.

"What's a dragon doing in a place like this?" Spyro whispered to himself.

As if hearing his reaction to her presence the dragoness paused and turned towards him. Spyro was almost certain that she could see him so he called out to her. "Hey, excuse me!" He waved a paw. The dragoness only continued to look around as she hovered in the air.

It was then Spyro began to notice her odd form. The dragoness had a long crest that raked back over her head with a hook-like horn on either side of the crest. Her tail spade and wing barbs resembled the crest and even the spines that lined her back. She was yellow with blue thunderbolt stripes along her back and legs. Before Spyro could get a better look at her, the dragoness turned and dove straight for the rocks at the base of a particular mountain that seemed to shoot straight up into the clouds.

"I've never seen a dragon like that before." Spyro whispered to himself as he flew closer to the mountain. Down below he could see the dragoness picking up speed with her dive. "Oh no! She's going to hit the ground!" Spyro cried and struggled to fly on his own; but whatever force had him, held him tight. Just before the dragoness hit the rocks she spread her wings wide and nearly turned on a dime making a sharp climb straight up the side of the mountain. Spyro watched in awe as she shot straight up the side of the rock before disappearing back into the clouds. Spyro struggled to try and follow but was unable to budge. He gave up after a minute and sighed.

All of a sudden he felt something warm on the back of his neck. He turned around to see the sun beginning to rise.

"Spyro..." Cynder whispered softly. The purple dragon stirred in his sleep. "Spyro, wake up." Cynder coaxed more forcefully.

"Ung." Spyro groaned as he lifted his eyelids. "Wha... Cynder?" He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath.

"Welcome back." Cynder smiled warmly and kissed him on the forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Tired and drained," Spyro replied then turned his head to look at her. "But other than that, I'm good."

Cynder's smile sank as she watched Spyro struggle to his feet; he was weak alright. His vibrant scales were dulled down to a mid-grey purple. His scratches and cuts were much more visible now in the morning sunlight, along with various other battle scars. Cynder sighed sadly. Spyro's physical demeanor had been diminished to the point where he looked almost sickly.

The black dragoness shook her head, removing those thoughts temporarily. "We should get going," She said, turning towards the northwest. "It would probably be a good idea to return to the dragon city and report to the elder guardians what's been going on."

"I agree we should be heading out." Spyro nodded in agreement but then he shook his head. "But not to Warfang though."

Cynder's head jerked back in surprise. "What? Why not? Spyro, we have to tell them that we're okay! We have to tell them what's become of the Dark Master, to the world." She glanced over at Candice who was lying beside Stella. "We even lost Tremor. You have to acknowledge that!" Candice's head rose at the sound of her mate's name.

"Tremor?" She asked looking around groggily. When she saw only the two dragons talking she lay her head back down sadly.

"I know." Spyro let out an exasperated sigh. "But something's telling me we have someplace else to be before we can return home." He turned and looked in the direction of where he had flown in his dream. Cynder stared hard at him before nodding slightly.

"You had a vision didn't you?" Spyro turned to her with a faint smile and a smirk tugged at Cynder's mouth. "I thought so. Well, if that's the case, then I'm with you as always."

"Thanks Cynder." Spyro pressed his lips to hers. When they finally broke the kiss, Spyro turned towards the other guardians. "Come on." He said to Cynder thrusting his head in their direction. "Let's get them up. We have somewhere to go."


	64. Chapter 63

"Spyro, one question," Flame asked as the dragons soared high over the trees. "How do you know where we're going?"

The guardians had been flying for about three hours straight. They were still tired from the previous days but were willing to push on none the less. Spyro had explained to them about his dream and that they needed to investigate this new place right away before returning to Warfang. The other dragons had seemed rather numb to the whole idea. The loss of their fellow guardian weighed heavily on their shoulders. The purple dragon felt guilty about asking for such a favor, but knew they would understand. After all, they were friends and guardians with a strong sense of duty, just like they had all been taught.

"I don't," Spyro replied plainly. "All I know is, that this was the direction I was going in my dream and it led me all the way to this mountain range I've never been to before."

"And there you have it folks." Sparx waved to his brother. "Straight from the dragon's mouth." The remark was only met with half-hearted smiles. Sparx sighed sadly when he realized his attempt at cheering the group up had failed.

The dragons flew on a little longer before Candice broke the silence. "I've been thinking Spyro." She flew up closer to the purple dragon and Cynder. "What do we do when you lose all your powers? I assume you only have your lightning breath right? What's our plan of action when you lose that too?"

Spyro and Cynder stared at each other.

"What about the power of Convexity?" Cynder asked. "Can you lose that too?"

"I don't know." Spyro shook his head. "I haven't had time to think that far ahead."

Candice gave him a long hard stare. "I see." She muttered and drifted back next to Stella.

Cynder watched the ice dragoness for a moment before turning back to Spyro. "You know, she has a point. What are we going to do? And more importantly, what's Malefor going to do?"

"Do you think he actually survived that eruption?" Spyro raised a skeptical brow.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sparx answered. "That guy is harder to get rid of than those wolves you keep running into."

"I have to agree with Sparx on this one." Cynder nodded. "Each time we've tried to defeat the Dark Master he's come back at us more vengeful than the last time. It's like the longer he's around, the more powerful he gets."

"I wonder how he does it." Spyro scratched his chin curiously. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed but it's still troubling to us. If he's getting stronger then my powers would make him nearly invincible."

"As if that's ever changed." Sparx rolled his eyes.

"Do you think we'll be safe where we're going?" Cynder thrust her head ahead of them. "Malefor's just going to keep following us until he either has your power or kills you." Spyro and Sparx watched as the dragoness hung her head sadly. "And I can't bear to lose you Spyro." She glanced over her shoulder at Candice who just stared straight ahead. The fire in the ice dragoness's eyes seemed so dim that it might die at any moment. Her expression was so blank it was impossible to tell what she was thinking about.

"Don't worry yourself Cynder," Spyro assured her. "As long as I have you and Sparx with me, we'll protect each other."

"Hey, I don't need protection," Sparx pointed out. "The baddies go after you guys more than me anyways. If anyone needs protection it's you two."

"Oh, brother." Cynder rolled her eyes.

As the three of them continued their conversation Stella pushed forward until she was next to Candice. "How are you holding up?"

Candice barely glanced in her direction. "All things considered, I'm just peachy."

"I wish there was something I could say or do to make you feel better Candice..."

"Don't trouble yourself with it." Candice turned and Stella saw that she was crying. "I can't do anything about the past, but I can make steps to improve the future."

Stella was a bit surprised by her determined words, but something in the ice guardian's voice struck a note of fear in her heart. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "What are you going to do?"

Candice only sighed. "I wouldn't want Tremor seeking revenge against someone who wronged him. And it wouldn't be fair to be a hypocrite by seeking revenge on Malefor and Liun." She turned to look at the lightning dragoness and her eyes grew white with frosty energy. "But when the time comes I will show them no mercy."

Stella swallowed hard but continued to stare her friend in the eye. "Just do me a favor. Don't lose yourself to the darkness. Okay?"

Candice stared at her for a long tense moment. "Alright." She sighed.

"That's my girl." Stella smiled and brushed the dragoness with the tip of her wing before falling back behind the group.

Candice just kept her stare on the horizon ahead. "No promises." She muttered to herself.

Several more hours of flying passed in silence for the dragons. They had all stopped to eat and get some water at a couple of lakes along the way; but Spyro had insisted that they keep moving.

"We'll keep going until the sun sets, and then we can rest for the night." He promised. No one complained; they were all too numb from the loss of their fellow guardian to care much about anything else.

Up ahead, Sparx spotted the faint outline of the mountains in the distance. "Hey Spyro! I think I see them!" He called and pointed ahead of them.

"Is that the same range?" Cynder asked squinting into the distant fog.

"Yeah." Spyro nodded. "I didn't think we'd reach them this quickly."

"Who cares?" Sparx shrugged.

"Spyro!" Flame called as he and Ember caught up to them. "If that's the range you're talking about then I would suggest we stop and rest before we head through the mountains. We don't know how much shelter or food is around them so we should load up before hand."

"I agree." Spyro nodded. "We'll get a little closer before making camp."

Suddenly there was a loud crack from below. The guardians all turned their attention toward the ground. The trees collapsed before spreading out in a wide radius. The dragon's eyes widened as they recognized what was about to hit.

"Incoming!" Stella shouted a warning as the ground froze over. The frozen turf where the forest used to be cracked and suddenly a menacing roar cut through the air. Dark magic burst from beneath the ice and catapulted the giant, jagged shards of ice up at the dragons.

Spyro curled himself around Cynder and Sparx and tried to form a barrier of earth around them. "Spyro!" Cynder cried as she realized what he was trying to do. She held onto him and Sparx as a barrier of convexity surrounded them. Flame and Ember both unleashed a wave of fire, destroying the slabs of ice that threatened to impale them.

"Look out!" Candice wrapped herself around Stella and breathed a wall of ice around them. Stella closed her eyes tight and listened to the sounds of ice smashing against ice. All at once there was a loud crash and Candice jerked. When Stella opened her eyes she saw blood dripping onto her arm.

"Candice?" The lightning dragoness looked up to see a pair of spikes had penetrated Candice's defensive wall and had lodged themselves into her left shoulder and thigh. A third had almost made it through and left the dragoness with a small laceration across her forehead next to her large horn.

"I'm alright." The ice guardian replied, a bit shaken from the sudden strike. She smashed the barrier with her tail, sending a shower of spikes down on the wolves below. The mutants growled and smashed the shards with their barbaric weapons.

"That was totally our move!" Flame snapped.

"Which means someone had to have copied it." Candice released Stella and narrowed her eyes at the wolves. It was then her eyes locked on Snarl. With a cry of hate and anguish Candice dove towards the wolves.

"No! Candice! Wait!" Stella cried but another sound grabbed her attention. A roar came from above and then a shower of dark lightning rained down on them. Flame and Ember were struck but the bolts bounced off Cynder's convexity shield. "Flame! Ember!" Stella wailed as the two fire breathers fell towards the ground. She dove after them as a bolt of lighting narrowly missed her. Another bolt shot toward the ground just in front of her causing the dragoness to back-wing to avoid getting hit. From out of the clouds a swarm of black dragons descended upon them. The fastest struck Stella like a mass of bricks. The blow knocked the guardian unconscious before she was driven into the ground.

"I'll kill you!" Candice shrieked, her eyes white with frozen rage. The mutant wolves unleashed waves of lightning and ice blades as she charged them head on. The ice guardian breathed a massive cloud of ice across the ground, freezing them in their place for the few seconds she needed. Candice beat her wings once and shot like a missile towards the Alpha. Snarl was frozen in place like the others and was wide open to attack. Candice charged up a blast of pure energy as she closed in on him.

It was then that the two combatants locked eyes. Snarl's eyes smiled and Candice's grew wide. She tried to change course but she was too far committed. With a loud howl, Snarl burst free. The Alpha swung a thick, muscle-bound arm, clipping the dragoness and catching her aside the head with his claws. Candice spun head over heels before hitting the ground with crushing force. She skidded and bounced along the frozen earth before a rock burst up from the ground. The dragoness slammed into the rock and lay still.

"What the hell was that?" Sparx yelled as the black dragons swarmed around them making it almost impossible to see past their masses of bodies.

"Spyro! We have to do something!" Cynder shouted. "Those wolves will kill them!"

"I know!" Spyro shot back. "Sparx, stay close to me!"

The dragonfly didn't argue. He hugged his brother as he curled into a ball and began to shake. Cynder saw what was about to happen and moved in closer as well. She grabbed Spyro's paw and did her best to help channel her energy into him as well. Bolts of lightning cracked around the two dragons and the barrier expanded. The screech of the crackling lightning hurt the wolves' ears. They began to howl in agony and fell to their knees.

For a brief moment the black dragons were distracted by the wolves below.

"Now!" Cynder shouted as she felt their flight patterns waver in the wind.

Spyro let loose a roar and the lightning burst from his body. Cynder felt the power inside her surge from her body as the sky was filled with electricity. She let out a scream as the power seemed to be ripped from her very body. Spyro's roar turned to a cry of torment. His eyes went white as he began to lose control of his lightning ability. The black dragons scattered, doing their best to dodge the stray bolts that shot in between them.

Cynder's body was the first to fall and a moment later Spyro began to plummet towards the ground. "Cynder..." He whispered as he saw the ground rush up at him. "What.... happened?" He fell unconscious just before the moment of impact.

"No.... Spyro... Cynder." Candice watched as the bodies of her friends hit the ground. She was about to try and get to her feet when a shadow loomed over her. The dragoness turned her head to see Snarl staring down at her with a wicked grin spread across his muzzle. He raised his foot and brought it crashing down on top of her head.

From out of the woods stepped Liun. The black dragon wore an enraged look on his face as he walked over to Spyro and Cynder. His shadows spread out and Malefor appeared overhead. The Dark Master gave an evil laugh that echoed across the tree tops.


	65. Chapter 64

Cynder woke with a chill. Her head was throbbing and every bone in her body ached. Her eyelids lifted and she looked up to see Stella sitting next to her. The lightning dragoness looked rather weary. She had a nasty scrape along the left side of her neck and shoulder from being slammed into the ground. Cynder groaned as she lifted her head.

"Cynder!" Stella jumped in surprise at the black dragoness's sudden movement. "Thank the ancestors, you're awake!"

"Ung, not so loud, please," Cynder groaned as she was helped to her feet. "My head hurts too much right now."

"Join the club," Flame grumbled as he and Ember walked over to them.

"Where are we?" Cynder asked as she pressed her talons against her temples, trying to sooth the pain. She closed her eyes and concentrated on overcoming the wooziness that threatened to topple her over at any moment.

"In a dungeon of some sort." Flame sighed. "Ember and I have been up for a few hours trying to find a way out."

"Any luck?" Cynder opened one eye to stare at the fire guardian.

"Take a wild guess."

"I didn't think so." Cynder sighed and sat on her haunches. As she continued to massage her temples she scanned the room around them. There was something frighteningly familiar about it. They were not in a dungeon or cell; rather, a large chamber fit for several adult, heavy-weight dragons.

"Not bad for a prison, huh?" Ember piped up, noticing the black dragoness's expression.

"This is where I woke up after Liun captured me the first time." Stella muttered darkly.

"Really?" Cynder locked her eyes with Stella's. The feeling of recognition was growing stronger by the second.

Stella nodded sternly, seeing her friend's expression harden. "It wasn't this same room exactly but it was definitely similar."

Cynder was on her feet in an instant and nose to nose with the lightning guardian. "Stella, I need to you to do something. Can you remember what this place looked like when you escaped?"

"I don't follow you." Stella squinted into Cynder's aquatic eyes.

"When you escaped from Liun, do you remember what this place looked like from the outside?"

Stella lowered her gaze and closed her eyes as she concentrated. She remembered the escape, but it was coming to her in a blur. She saw the black dragons charge her before she blasted a hole in the floor to escape. When she blew another hole in the wall she heard the ceiling collapse behind her. She ran as fast as she could, down long hallways and stair cases, looking for a way out with a swarm of black dragons closing in. After what had seemed like ages of running nowhere, she had found the entrance to the fortress which had been guarded by a small pack of wolves. With a burst of speed and lightning, Stella smashed through them in into the open night. The wolves staggered to their feet and howled furiously after her. The lightning dragoness looked back over her shoulder at the black dragons spilling into the night from inside the enormous castle. A chill went down her spine as she stared at the gruesome towers around which dark magic seemed to cluster. Eerie blue crystals could be seen scattered throughout the structures and lined the base of the floating island. The very memory now seemed to make her want to crawl into a hole and hide.

"Stella." Ember placed a paw on her friend's shoulder. "Stella!"

"Huh?" Stella jolted out of her trance and stared the pink dragoness in the eyes.

"Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah. Why do you ask?"

"You were starting to look a little petrified there," Ember pointed out. The lightning guardian's scales had gone slightly pale and her scales seemed to stand on end.

"It's just a little cold here, nothing to worry about." Stella smiled but then looked at Cynder. "If I'm right, then we're in the same castle Liun was using as his fortress."

"A castle?" Cynder's eye widened and Stella nodded. "Damn it! It's my old fortress!" Cynder exclaimed, slamming a furious paw on the floor.

"Your fortress?" Flame raised a suspicious brow.

"This place was mine when I was under the Dark Master's spell all those years ago. I had completely forgotten about this place." The black dragoness's expression darkened even further. "Though it would make sense that Malefor would bring us here."

"Why? Because it's his territory?" Ember asked distastefully.

"If you've never heard the saying before, the elder dragons and anyone who encountered me as the Dark Master's general knew my tactics in torture..." Her voice trailed off. "Basically, Malefor is sending us a message. By coming here, hope is supposed to die."

"And us along with it." Ember sighed.

"I'm assuming that's his plan." Cynder nodded. "I'm certain he has Spyro at the top where the tallest spires are. That's where I had Ignitus when I captured him. Spyro's powers are probably being drained as we speak."

"So how do we get out?" Flame sat down on his haunches and waited for an answer. "Ember and I tried to get out through the windows, busting down the walls and even the front entrance." He jerked his head towards the giant double doors to the chamber. "There seems to be some type of restricting spell on this room keeping us here."

"How can you tell?"

"Watch this." Flame growled and charged the door.

"Flame, don't!" Ember cried, but the fire guardian smashed through the doors with a comet-dash. A split second later bolts of dark energy crackled and shrieked. Flame hollered and was thrown back, nearly slamming into Cynder. "Flame!" Ember was at his side in an instant, checking to see if he was alive.

"I'm alright." The red dragon smiled as Ember helped him back up.

"I think that was a little on the unnecessary side." Cynder groaned. "But you have made your point." She let out an exasperated sigh and looked back as the door began to rebuild itself.

"I tried that five times and it just fixes itself each time I do," Flame grumbled as he watched the last splinters fall into place.

"So what do we do?" Stella turned to face the black dragoness.

"There's nothing we can do." Cynder sighed sadly. "We have to be busted out from the outside, not the inside."

"So we're stuck here?" Ember exclaimed.

"Unless Candice can get us out somehow..." Flame sighed.

"Candice?" Cynder looked around the chamber but found no sight of the ice guardian. "Where is she?"

"We don't know." Flame replied broodingly. "She wasn't here when we woke up. We think she might have been taken to another part of the castle or something."

"Then that just leaves the question as to why," Stella said and looked towards the door.

"We'll worry about that later." Cynder raised a paw. "Let's just hope she can come through for us."

A sudden rush of wet and cold jolted Candice awake. The ice dragoness coughed and sputtered, trying to get the dirty, chilled water out of her nose and mouth.

"I think you've slept long enough," A gruff voice snarled.

"W-what? Who are you? Who's there? Why can't I see?" Candice struggled to turn her head. Her back was to a wall and her front paws were chained together over her head. She dangled helplessly as she struggled against the aching pain that coursed through her body. Her wings were tied to her body with a rough, itchy rope. A chain attached to an iron ball was clamped around her tail rendering her tail blade immobile.

Candice squeaked in surprise when the blindfold was yanked off her head. Her vision blurred and she spent a couple minutes blinking, trying to focus her sight. Another splash of cold, mucky water hit her in the face leaving her to spit and sputter yet again. As she coughed she looked up into Snarl's beady yellow eyes. The dragoness hissed only to receive a blow across the face.

"Know your place dragon," The Alpha growled. Candice glared at him as she turned back to face him with blood dripping from her mouth. The wolf smiled showing his disgustingly yellow teeth. "I've waited quite a while for this."

"What's your game mutt?" Candice spat and was promptly answered by Snarl grabbing her about the throat. The dragoness coughed and choked as she felt the crushing pressure on her neck intensify.

"You know, I'm not going to kill you just yet dragon." Snarl sneered. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to take any of your tongue." He paused to think for a moment. "Though that would save me a lot of trouble with having to listen to you." He drew his ragged blade and pressed it to Candice's cheek. "Though, I suppose doing that now would take away from the fun of listening to you scream when I kill your mate."

"How dare you!" Candice hissed and her eyes turned white with frost. "You have a lot of nerve opening that wound." She hissed and Snarl bellowed and staggered back, clutching at his face. The tiny ice particles stung his eyes worse than angry hornets on the attack. As he moved away from her Candice's eyes grew wide in shock. Lying before her in the middle of the room was a body, chained to the floor. The once brilliant yellow-green scales were covered in soot and ash giving it a slightly charred appearance. "T-Tremor?" Candice's jaw hung open as she stared at the sight before her. She shook her head hard and stared again; she wasn't dreaming.

"Surprised?" Snarl gave a forced chuckle. His eyes were red and watery from the pain of the stinging ice. "We found him lying at the bottom of the volcano."

"What did you do to him?!" Candice shouted struggling to free herself from the chains that held her.

"I haven't so much as touched him." Snarl waved, ignoring the dragoness's efforts.

"You lie!"

"You have my word dragon. I haven't laid a single hair on him." He narrowed his eyes at her. "But that's not going to be the case for very long."As soon as he wakes up, I'm going to kill him." He walked back to her and grabbed her muzzle in his massive fist. "And then I'll be sure to kill you in the most painful way imaginable." He thrust her head away and turned towards the door. The metal doors creaked as the guards opened them from the outside.

"Hey! Get back here you flea-bitten mongrel!" Candice shouted furiously but the slam of the iron doors drowned out her voice. The ice guardian sighed and let out a stream of frost that froze a thin layer of ice over the doors. She turned her eyes back to the earth dragon lying motionless in the middle of the room. "Come on Tremor..." She pleaded silently. "We don't have much time. Please, wake up."


	66. Chapter 65

Tremor lay coughing at the bottom of the volcano's main shaft. His eyes, lungs and nostrils burned. His lungs were choked with ash and smoke and his nostrils bled. As he struggled to breathe he could faintly sense the vibration of foot steps coming closer to him.

"There's no way I'm getting out of this alive." He whispered and wheezed hard. Tremor opened one eye to see the beastly figures towering over him as nothing more than a blur. He closed his eyes and as he felt himself slip away.

"At least... I'll lure them to their deaths... and spare the others from them..." He felt another violent shake from the volcano. "Forgive me Candice..." And with that, there was suddenly silence.

The wolves barked and nipped at each other as they stalked up to the fallen earth dragon. The closer they drew to him the more they began to bark and shove each other away, each hoping to get at the young dragon first.

Just as they were about to bear down on the dragon a sharp bark halted them. The wolves turned to see Snarl and the rest of their pack rushing towards them. The mutants all slunk away from Tremor, allowing Snarl to look down on the collapsed body of the guardian. After the initial surprise, he recognized his prey and a twisted grin spread across muzzle. He reached towards Tremor but a loud shriek from above caught his attention. The wolves looked up to see Liun slam the adult Cynder into the wall and pin her.

"This time Cynder, I will be more thorough in killing you!"

From out of a hole in the tunnel a bolt of lightning burst from Spyro's mouth. The bolt stunned Liun, giving the purple dragon the chance to hit him with a beam of convexity. Liun struck the wall before plummeting to the bottom of the volcano. The wolves watched as the black dragon hit the ground, leaving an impact crater where he lay. The wolves waited for a moment to see if the dragon would rise; he didn't.

"Take him!" Snarl pointed to Tremor and turned towards the other fallen warrior. The Alpha approached Liun cautiously. As he looked down on him he began to notice a warm glow coming up through the rock; lava was seeping through the cracks. Liun suddenly sat up screaming. His shadows manifested and Malefor roared in anguish. The wolves cowered in fear as the Dark Master bellowed from the burning pain. Just then the volcano gave one final rumble and a loud explosion ripped through the caverns.

Without a second thought, Snarl snatched up Liun, still screaming and burning with dark magic. The Alpha rushed back to his pack-mates who held Tremor roughly about the neck. The wolves huddled together as Snarl handed Liun to one of them and slammed his massive fist into the ground. A wall of rock burst from the ground and surrounded them in an air-tight shield.

"Hold on!" The pack leader shouted and pressed his hands to the burning rock. The sound of another muffled explosion came from outside the protective shield and suddenly the ball shook violently. The wolves were knocked off their feet and sent bouncing around the inside of the ball. Snarl dug his long claws into the stone, trying to keep the ball steady as they shot straight up. The heat was burning his skin and he could feel his flesh boiling away.

The ball shot straight into the blackened sky before falling back down into the mouth of the volcano. The force of the lava sent the wolves and dragons rocketing right back up again.

As the ball began to fall again, Snarl managed to steady their decent. The ball hit the bursting spout of lava and began bouncing less aggressively on the blisteringly hot surface.

"Set me down!" A furious voice growled. Snarl looked over his shoulder to see Liun squirm free of the wolf's grasp and set foot onto the burning rock. Much to the Alpha's surprise, the young dragon's paws didn't begin to burn. Dark magic swirled at the base of the black dragon's feet. His eyes flashed with rage as convexity began to swell up inside of him. The right side of his face, as well as his neck, shoulder and side had severe third-degree burns. His eye was already bleeding and beginning to puss as well as the other wounds.

A hateful growl resided in Liun's throat as he looked at the unconscious earth guardian. He let out an infuriated roar causing the wolves to pin their ears back and tuck their tails. Even Snarl was forced to relinquish his hold on the burning barrier. The Dark Master's evil energy spread throughout the wolves and seeped into the volcano, giving it a sinister violet hue.

Liun burst through the rock and into the lava and ash-filled sky. His dark energy swept up the surviving wolves and brought them to his eye level.

"We will take this one back." Malefor spoke through the young dragon as he pointed at Tremor. "And then we will hunt down the others." He fixed his eyes on Snarl. "And this time, there will be no failures!"

Tremor's head spun. His breathing was very ragged and weak. Tears flowed from his eyes as they attempted to clean themselves of the remaining basaltic dust that had blinded him so badly. As Tremor began to regain consciousness he felt a chill sweep over him. He opened his eyes and his world immediately began to spin. The earth guardian groaned and shut his eyes. When the whirling feeling subsided, he slowly opened his eyes again. The nausea remained and his labored breathing didn't help.

When Tremor's eyes fully opened he froze in shock. Dangling across the room from him was Candice. The ice guardian was suspended from the ceiling, turning ever so slightly that the chains barely clinked. The iron ball that rested below her suspended body held her tail tightly; there was no way for her to use her tail to defend herself. Her arms were shackled behind her back in a most uncomfortable position for any dragon and her wings had been clamped beneath a rusty old length of chain. The ice guardian's head hung limp and for a split second, Tremor thought she was dead. But when he heard her take in a heavy breath he relaxed slightly.

"Candice," he spoke. His throat hurt when he spoke. When the dragoness didn't respond, he spoke louder. "Candice!" He got up and took a couple steps towards her and suddenly began to cough hard.

The noise brought Candice back from her dormant state. She opened her eyes and lifted her head to see Tremor on his knees in a fit of harsh coughing.

"Tremor," She whispered drowsily. As her mind realized what she was seeing her heart leaped for joy. "Tremor!" She squealed and kicked wildly at the wall behind her, trying to get closer to the earth guardian.

"Candice..." Tremor wheezed before coughing hard again.

"Tremor, you're alive!" Candice sobbed tears of pure delight. "I thought you were dead! I thought I'd lost you again!"

Tremor continued to cough as he got off his knees and staggered towards his mate. "Come on Candy, you should know you can't get rid of me that easily." The ice guardian only smiled as he began to get a hold of his air. He moved to get closer to his dragoness but the chains that bound him yanked him back. Tremor tried to pull against the metal but only succeeded in coughing more.

"It's no use Tremor." Candice sighed sadly. "You're not close enough."

"Doesn't... mean..." Tremor began to pull against the chains again. "I... won't... try."

Candice just shook her head. "You know, I would say something about you being a thick-headed pebble-brain, but I'm just too happy to see you alive." Tears were streaming down Candice's cheeks and onto the cold, damp floor.

"Save your tears for a special occasion sweetie." Tremor smiled as he wheezed again. "How do we get out of here?"

"I've been trying to think of that for hours." Candice shook her head.

"Looked more like you were napping to me." Tremor grinned and Candice narrowed her eyes at him.

"Shut up." She snorted. "As I was saying, I have no idea where we are anyways. I haven't been able to come up with a plan of escape before the wolves return."

"Wolves?" Tremor stopped pulling on the chains and fixed his eyes on Candice.

Just then there was a loud clang as the bolts on the door came off. Tremor and Candice cringed against the blinding light of the hall beyond the doors. A single hulking wolf stood in the doorway, blocking out most of the light.

Snarl's eyes fell upon Tremor who squinted against the brightness. "Well now, I wasn't expecting you to be up. Not this soon anyways." He stepped inside the chamber and motioned for the guards to close the doors.

When they locked behind him the wolf paced around the room, putting himself between the young dragon and his female. "To tell you the truth I didn't believe you would ever wake up. You survived a volcano blast, encounters with my strongest warriors and even bested the Dark Master himself." Snarl smiled at the earth guardian as he continued to pace around the large room. "But don't forget about who you're dealing with here." Snarl stopped and pointed an authoritative claw at Tremor. The earth dragon's muscles tensed as he expected an attack. "I'm the Alpha male of my clan and I'm the most powerful amongst the other warriors."

"All I'm hearing is hot air, fuzz-face." Tremor snorted and stifled another cough.

"Oh you think so?" Snarl smiled as he continued around the room. "Let me ask you this. Is that what you thought when you first faced my warriors on the field of battle? I'm fairly certain that you didn't because you're still alive today. You took us seriously as any dragon should." Candice and Tremor exchanged suspicious glances. Tremor had no idea where the wolf was going with this speech but Candice was already getting a good idea. She shook her head but Tremor missed the gesture as he turned back to the wolf leader.

"If you have a point crotch-breath then get to it already; I haven't got all day." Tremor demanded spitefully.

Snarl chuckled in amusement. Then without warning he kicked Tremor in the stomach. The earth dragon yelled in pain and fell to the floor holding his gut.

"Tremor!" Candice shrieked and struggled against the chains but knew it was futile.

Snarl's laugh rang loud in the guardians ears. "You're starting to lose your head dragon." He cracked his knuckles as he continued pacing. "Your fight should be in your spirit, not your mouth."

Tremor glared at the wolf as he got to his feet, wheezing hard, trying to refrain from coughing. "Why don't you come closer and I'll put my fighting spirit where your face is," he growled.

Snarl laughed again. "You're making the same mistake." He swung his foot again; this time Tremor was ready and dodged it. But just as he was about to get away the chain choked him back down to the ground. Snarl continued to laugh mockingly at Tremor and brought his foot to rest on the dragon's neck, pinning him where he lay.

"I see you're quick to learn as well." Snarl smiled wickedly. Tremor glared daggers up at the wolf. Snarl tilted his head sideways as he looked down on the young dragon. "Those eyes, so sad." He shook his head in an act of false remorse. "I remember seeing those same eyes when I killed your sister."

"What!" Tremor's pupils shrank and he felt a roar build up from deep inside his chest.

"Tremor!" Candice shouted.

"Just before I left your sister to die the excruciatingly painful death she deserved, I remember seeing her look up at me with those same eyes. So strong and determined to fight until the end."

"You... mongrel!" Tremor growled through clenched teeth.

"Tremor no!" Candice pleaded.

"I will be honest, your so-called sister had the chance to back away. If she hadn't been so full of that arrogance you dragons call pride then she may have lived." Snarl leaned down, bringing his nose close to Tremor's face. "And judging by the way you are, I'd say that arrogance runs in the family.

Tremor let out a roar as he whirled on Snarl. The wolf was knocked off the young dragon and he staggered back several steps before catching himself on a chain that hung from the ceiling. He looked up at Tremor who lunged for him only to be held a few feet back by the chained shackles. Snarl laughed as Tremor gnashed his teeth and clawed wildly at the air.

"Yes! That's it! Get mad! I want you to lose yourself the way you did when I first met you! I want you to remember what I did! Think of how your sister looked after I butchered her myself! It was so delightful! I'd do it again and again if I could!" The laughing grew louder as Tremor continued to delve into an even more crazed state.

"No! Tremor! Stop!" Candice cried frantically. "This is just what he wants! He wants to see you in pain! Don't give him the pleasure! Don't you think you've suffered enough?" The ice guardian's words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Tremor's frenzy continued. The dragoness felt a lump in her throat as she watched helplessly as her love continued going postal before her very eyes. With each swipe towards the wolf he seemed to be clawing away from her.

Candice felt the tears of loss begin to swell in her eyes again. "Please stop..." She whimpered softly. "Please Tremor... Come back... To me..." She sniffled and lowered her head in defeat. "You promised..." She sobbed quietly as a few tears ran down her snout and fell onto the stone floor.

The tears hitting the floor sounded like thunder in Tremor's ears. He paused in mid-swipe and his pupils returned to normal. He sat down on his haunches and hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry Candice," He whispered. He looked up at Snarl with a calm and collected look. He had found his inner peace; his strength. "I won't fight you." He shook his head. "Not for revenge. Not for myself. I made a promise to the one I love not to lose myself. And I intend to keep that promise until the day I die." He didn't need to turn his head. He could sense Candice's head lift and he could feel her eyes staring into the back of his head.

"Oh, Tremor..." The ice guardian smiled to herself, thankful that he was back.

"I see." Snarl nodded thoughtfully and scratched his goatee. "I admire your strength, dragon." He began to pace about the room again and Tremor felt his muscles tense as he waited for the wolf to attack him. "You refuse to fight me because you don't want to lose yourself to the darkness of your heart and because you made a promise to your mate." Snarl stopped in front of Candice and looked from her to Tremor. "You know," he turned to Candice with a slight nod. "You're very lucky to have a mate that will do anything for you and obey your every command." He started to take another step to pace the room but whirled around, grabbing Candice by the throat and slamming her into the wall. The dragoness gave a gargled cry and Tremor's eyes grew wide.

"Candice!" He lunged forward to help her but only succeeded in having the shackle dig into his neck scales some more.

Candice squirmed to break free from Snarl's crushing grip as she gasped for air. Snarl's eyes locked with hers and Candice could see the evil intent within them. The Alpha turned towards Tremor with a devious smile spread across his muzzle.

"So how about it dragon?" He jeered. "If you won't fight to avenge your dead sister or for your self," the wolf gripped the handle to his bladed weapon. "Then how about you fight for her?"

Tremor's eyes were wide with horror as he glanced from his struggling dragoness to the object of his torment. "I... I... I can't!" He gasped heavily and hung his head, turning away from the sight before him.

Snarl frowned. He drew his weapon and pressed the blade to Candice's throat. "Do it... or she dies!" He growled. Tremor looked up and his pupils dilated. Snarl waited until the dragon was staring him in the eye. "Fight me." The wolf barked harsher this time. "Fight me or I swear that I'm going to spill her blood all over this chamber!"

"But I...!" Tremor started.

"Tremor!" Candice gagged as she felt the oxygen leave her body. "You... can... I'll be... fight..."

"But Candice! I..." Tremor was interrupted when Snarl pressed the sharp, jagged blade to the dragoness's soft skin. Candice gave a muffled cry as the blade slowly drew downward from her clavicle across her chest; blood trickling down her soft under belly and off the tip of her tail blade

"Alright!" Tremor cried as he fell to his knees in submission. "I give up... I'll fight you..."

"Good." Snarl smiled and immediately released Candice to turn to the earth guardian. "Now don't you dare hold back or I'll send that pretty little head of hers rolling."

Tremor gritted his teeth against the anger that threatened to take over his mind. "I made a promise to always be there for her." He growled as he got to his feet. "I keep my promises. I'm not going to let her down." All at once the ground shook and Tremor let out a thunderous roar. His scales glistened in the dim lantern light. Snarl cringed from the loud noise and tightened his grip on his weapon.

"Now that's more like it." He laughed.

"You won't be saying that when I'm done with you." Tremor growled. "I'm going to defeat you once and for all!"


	67. Chapter 66

"Spyro," A soft voice called from the darkness.

"Huh? Who's there?" The purple dragon walked alone through pure darkness. He had been walking for what seemed like hours. "I think I'm lost," Spyro muttered. "It feels like I've been getting nowhere."

"You've never been lost Spyro," The soothing voice of a female came to him once again. "You've always been on the right path. You just need to follow your heart and continue forward, even if you can't see what lies ahead."

"Who are you?" Spyro called into the darkness. "Where are you? Why are you telling me this? Does it have something to do with what's going on?"

The voice gave an amused chuckle. "Oh Spyro, always so curious and wanting to find out all the answers. Just give it some time. They'll come to you soon, I promise."

"In time?" Spyro protested. "I don't have time though! We don't have time! The Dark Master is threatening to destroy the world again and I'm powerless to stop him!"

"Spyro, my dear, it's not always about who has the most power. You are a dragon of legends and a hero in your own age. The same goes for Cynder and your friends. What matters is your focus, your determination and the purity of your heart." The voice gave another light chuckle. "Besides, you've always had the power to protect the world and those you love. You've even tapped into it once already. Just keep focused on what you want to protect the most and it will come again. All right?"

Spyro sighed. He hated the riddles from the chronicler during the night of eternal darkness and this wasn't much better. However, he would have to go along with it for now. "All right." He nodded puffing his chest out. "I'll do my best."

"That's a good boy." The voice seemed to smile audibly. Just then a pair of eyes appeared in front of Spyro. The purple dragon froze. The eyes seemed to smile kindly at him. "Take care now Spyro. You have a lot of work and trials ahead of you. But I know you'll be able to overcome them. If you ever have any doubts, just turn to your friends for guidance. They're there to help you."

"I will." Spyro nodded. Suddenly he felt himself slipping away. "Hey, I never got your name! Who are you?" He called as he began to wake up.

"Don't lose your heart Spyro! Don't lose sight of what you're fighting for!" The voice then faded away and Spyro was awake.

"Huh?" He lifted his head to find himself locked inside a small cage again. Directly below him was a purple crystal. Inside was the remaining energy that was slowly being drained from him; his lightning breath.

"You could sleep through the end of the world, I swear." An angry voice caught his attention. Spyro turned to see Liun enter the chamber from a hall on the right.

"You!" Spyro growled and narrowed his eyes at the black dragon.

"Who else would you expect?" Liun sneered then snickered to himself. "Though you could have gotten rid of me in that volcanic eruption." He turned to show Spyro his scabbing burn marks. His dark magic had managed to keep out the infection if not the pain. "But even then you failed to complete the job."

"In case you didn't notice, we weren't focusing on fighting you," Spyro spat.

"Perhaps." Liun nodded acknowledging the dragon's prowess. "Or perhaps the fact that I'm still alive after that means that I'm destined for great power. You all have tried time and time again to get rid of me but I just keep coming back stronger than before."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall Liun." Spyro pointed out.

"I take it you speak from personal experience then." Liun smirked. Spyro only glared at him. "Trust me," Liun growled as black magic began to emanate from his body and shroud the room in shadows. "When I'm done with you you'll be begging for me to end your worthless life."

Spyro's heart stopped as the black dragon's eyes flashed with convexity. That split second was all the time Liun needed. The shadows leaped out and grabbed Spyro around the neck. The purple dragon struggled to free himself within the close confines of his cage. But the more Spyro fought, the more entangled he became. Within minutes he was completely engulfed in darkness. The shadows began to conform to Spyro's body, turning his faded purple scales to jet black. Liun let out an evil laugh as he watched the dark dragon curl into a ball inside his cage as the energy continued to drain out of his body.

Cynder suddenly jolted and shuddered noisily.

"Cynder, what is it?" Flame asked getting to his feet.

"I just got a very bad feeling about Spyro," The dragoness replied, looking up at the ceiling.

"Damn it! Why are we stuck in here!?" Ember fumed and breathed a wave of fire at the ceiling, scorching the stained tile black.

"Ember calm down!" Stella snapped.

"You calm down!" Ember shot back. "Spyro's in trouble, Candice is missing and we're powerless to get out of this prison!" The pink dragoness began to choke as she tried to keep from crying; she wasn't very successful. "We've already lost Tremor. I don't want to lose anymore friends."

"Losing our heads isn't going to help the situation." Stella sighed and placidly walked over to her friend and draped a wing around her. "We just have to have faith that Candice, wherever she is, gets out and finds us before it's too late."

Just then the room shook. The guardians froze and stared at each other, moving only their eyes. "Did you three just feel that?" Flame asked hesitantly.

"Yeah I did." Stella nodded.

"It felt like an earthquake." Ember pointed out.

"It sure didn't feel like Spyro." Cynder raised a brow, questioning the other guardians for their answer.

"I know what you're thinking," Ember nodded as he looked from one dragoness to the next. "But if it's an earthquake, then that means..."

"Is it really possible?" Stella stared hard at the red dragon. Flame looked to Cynder for an answer.

"I don't know..." She shrugged after a moment's thought. "I suppose anything is possible..."

Snarl slammed into the wall. He recovered and ducked under Tremor's clubbed tail before it smashed into the stone. The wolf rolled across the floor and hurled his blade at Tremor. The earth dragon side-stepped the attack and the blade plunged into the wall. He turned his head and inhaled deeply. Snarl's eyes widened and he yanked his weapon back as Tremor fired an earth bullet. The attack missed and hit the wall. Candice cringed as the rocks and debris peppered her body. Snarl dove and shoved the earth dragon out of the way. Tremor rolled over his back and sprang backwards through the air as Snarl swung his weapon; the blade passing mere inches from his face.

Tremor landed on his feet and lunged again. Snarl brought his blade down hard and Tremor dodged, keeping his momentum and butting the alpha wolf in the face. Snarl yelped, releasing his weapon and staggering back. Tremor swung his muscular tail and knocked the canine's feet out from under him. Snarl hit the floor and grabbed for his weapon. Tremor stopped him by stepping on his arm, digging his claws into the wolf's thick flesh as if it were noting more than wet cardboard. Snarl punched the young dragon in the ribs and Tremor coughed hard, staggering back off the wolf's arm. Snarl grabbed his blade and swung violently, sending a shower of jabbed stone shards at Tremor. The earth dragon's eye grew wide and he hugged the floor as the projectiles peppered the wall behind him.

Tremor roared and fired another earth bullet at Snarl's feet. The wolf sprang into the air ad flipped over the earth dragon. Tremor rolled away again as the Alpha swung his blade in midair, narrowly missing his shoulder. Tremor bounced back and rushed the pack-leader when he landed. The earth guardian spun low and connected his club with Snarl's knee cap. The Alpha bellowed in pain and collapsed onto his knee.

"Eat this!" Tremor slammed his tail across Snarl's face, sending the canine smashing into the far wall. Before the dust could settle, Tremor fired another earth bullet. There was an angry howl and the room shook. As the dust and pebbles rattled to a halt on the floor a shadowy figure emerged from the hole in the wall.

"That wasn't half bad dragon." Snarl sneered. "But you still have a lot to learn about fighting an Alpha wolf."

"Is that so?" Tremor's shoulders were hunched and he was struggling to breathe. The dust was starting to strangle his lungs and he coughed hard a couple times.

"If you'd like to learn," Snarl gestured for Tremor to come get him. "Then come at me with everything you've got."

"Tremor," Candice hissed uneasily. Something about the wolf's confidence rang a suspicious note with her.

"I know." Tremor nodded. "I'll be careful." And with that he dashed forward.

Snarl waited patiently for the earth guardian to make the first move. Tremor curled into a ball and barreled towards the wolf. Snarl leaped over the spinning ball of earth and turned around as Tremor pivoted and charged again. Candice's eyes widened when she saw a grin spread across Snarl's face.

"Tremor, look out!" She shouted but the earth guardian had already committed his attack.

Snarl growled and slammed his rough, callused hands against the gyrating ball of rock as it slammed into him. The Alpha dug his feet into the stone floor as Tremor pushed him back into the far wall. Snarl's growl grew louder as he felt his back press up against the wall. Tremor's ball was pushing forward and nearly touching the Alpha's chest fur.

"Come on Tremor..." Candice urged silently.

Just as Tremor was about to crush him, Snarl let out an ear-piercing howl. The noise echoed throughout the chamber and Candice squeezed her eyes shut trying to shrink away from the harsh noise.

"What the hell?" Tremor's surprised voice grabbed her attention and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. The Alpha wolf took a step forward; and then another, and another. Tremor grunted and tried to push back but Snarl was bent on demonstrating his power.

The wolf leader dug his claws into the stone and put an end to Tremor's attempts at spinning into him. Inside, Tremor looked around frantically trying to figure out what was going on. He tried to escape from his self-made prison but wasn't able to break through the thick barrier. Snarl smiled and tightened his grip. With a mighty heave he swung the spheroid around once before hurling it into the wall. There was a deafening crash as the rock shattered and Tremor's cries stung Candice's heart.

"Tremor!" She shouted. She desperately wanted to get free so she could fight by his side and put an end to this wolf's torments.

"I'm alright..." Tremor coughed hard and nearly choked on the dust that hovered in the air. He staggered to his feet, stifling his coughing as he glared at Snarl. Blood began to appear on a cut along his lip. The scales along his side were turning discolored from bruises beginning to form.

"Don't tell me that's the best you could do," Snarl jeered. "I know cubs with more power and skill."

"Oh man, you are so dead." Tremor growled as they started to circle each other. Tremor focused on the Alpha's head and began to ready his attack.

At last he charged in. Snarl ducked as Tremor lunged for his face. The earth dragon bounced off the wall and knocked Snarl to the ground. Snarl and Tremor wrestled across the floor in front of Candice who was struggling to shake loose her chains.

Tremor kicked and scratched the wolf trying to get his claws in as deep as possible. Snarl twisted around trying to grab at the earth dragon, but Tremor had learned from his last big battle. As Snarl reached for him, Tremor swatted his hand away and bit down on his wrist. Snarl growled in irritation and made another grab for the dragon. Tremor pushed off of Snarl's chest and spread his wings. He gave a quick flap, swinging himself around to Snarl's back and smacking the wolf's outstretched fingers with his club.

Snarl's eyes widened with surprise when the dragon spun to his back and locked his arm that was still clasped tightly in his jaws.

"You can do it Tremor," Candice whispered as she watched the Alpha struggle to get around the arm lock. Tremor was holding him tight, feeling every muscle in the wolf's body twitch and moving to intercept his movement.

At last, Snarl had had enough. He leaned back over Tremor and pushed off the ground carrying the young dragon with him. The wolf curled into a ball and let gravity take care of the rest. His massive bulk fell on top of Tremor, nearly crushing him between the wolf's body and the stone floor. The crushing impact caused Tremor to gasp and choke. He could taste blood in his mouth and his breathing was being restricted.

"I can't let him go!" Tremor's thoughts rushed through his mind. "If I do he'll kill me and if I don't... he'll still kill me." He tightened his grasp on the wolf's arm causing Snarl to give a mild yelp "So in that case." Tremor twisted his head and rolled the wolf off of him. He jumped on Snarl's back after releasing his arm and pushed off of him. The force knocked the wolf down just a tad but it was Tremor's earth bullet striking him that smashed his body into the floor. Tremor landed beside the Alpha and struck him across the face with his tail.

The wolf leader tumbled across the ground before slamming to a halt against the wall. He shook the stars from his head and looked up to see Tremor charging up a massive earth missile. Tremor fired and Candice was certain that the shot would finish off the wolf.

Snarl grinned. "Perfect." He extended a hand and stopped the earth missile.

Both guardian's eyes widened in shock.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Tremor gasped.

"No way! He stopped it!" Candice exclaimed.

"But how?" Tremor was stunned from the sight and Snarl knew it. The Alpha gave a quick bark before hurling the earth missile back at Tremor.

"Tremor, get out of the way!" Candice cried but the earth guardian remained motionless. The force of the attack hitting Tremor snapped him out of his terror-stricken state. He screamed as the earth missile drove him into the wall before exploding on impact. Candice twisted around in her chains screaming the young guardian's name.

As the dust began to settle, Tremor lay in a heap, half buried in rubble. Blood trickled down the side of his head and from his nose and mouth. Candice was almost certain he was dead until the earth dragon coughed, spattering the debris with specs of blood. Tremor opened his eyes and continued to gag on his own blood. Slowly he stood up, letting the rock s that covered him to roll across the floor.

"I thought... Wolves couldn't use... earth powers." He wheezed.

Snarl nearly fell on the floor laughing. "That is true for the most part. But there are a couple who can use earth or fire elements. They are the ones who are usually deemed, Alpha wolves. And since you're looking at one, what does that tell you?"

"Damn it." Tremor groaned and fell to his knees. "It's never easy is it?"

Snarl stopped laughing. "Oh, it's going to get much harder dragon." He snarled menacingly and charged.


	68. Chapter 67

"Tremor!" Candice screamed when she saw another earth bullet reflected back at the young guardian. The blast struck Tremor in the stomach and launched him into the ceiling. The young dragon cried out in pain before hitting the floor. "Look out!"

Tremor rolled away as several stones fell from the ceiling. But just as he dodged those, Snarl rushed in with a savage slash with his claws across Tremor's chest, sending the green dragon tumbling across the broken floor.

"Get up!" Candice cried helplessly.

"Yes! Get up!" Snarl bellowed and yanked Tremor off the floor. He pinned the dragon to the wall and punched him hard in the stomach. Tremor gasped as all the air rushed out of him. His stomach ached and his insides burned. Blood still trickled from his nose and mouth. There was a new gash along his forehead as well as his right shoulder and his body was peppered with dark bruises.

Snarl frowned. "I have to say that I'm rather disappointed in you dragon." He turned and hurled Tremor against the opposite wall again. He lumbered over as the guardian struggled to recover from the blow. The wolf bent down and grasped Tremor around the neck and brought their faces together. "For being a supposed guardian you're not as strong as you should be." He growled and tossed Tremor again.

"Leave him alone!" Candice shouted. She could feel her temper rising.

Snarl ignored the ice dragoness and grabbed Tremor again. "You dragons pride yourselves in your abilities to use your special elemental powers. But I'm willing to bet my life that you couldn't hold your own against another with the same gift as you."

"I said to stop it!" Candice shrieked. Her eyes were glowing and her icy energy was beginning to swell up inside of her. The Alpha turned his head and gave her an annoyed look.

"Don't be in such a hurry to die. I'll get to you soon enough."

"You don't have guts!" Candice hissed as clouds of frost jetted between her bared teeth. Her icy power was beginning to expand out from her body. The frozen water droplets began to harden across her body, forming an extra layer or armor. Icicles grew out from her shoulders and across her chest to form a protective guard. The wall behind her was white with frost and seemed to glow as angrily as Candice's eyes.

Snarl dropped Tremor's body and turned towards Candice. "As you wish. If you'd rather die before him then I suppose it will be more enjoyable to watch him suffer even more."

Candice had heard enough. She gave a sharp cough and Snarl bellowed in pain. The Alpha staggered back, clutching at the icy spike that was lodged deep in this shoulder just above his clavicle. He had just narrowly missed being impaled through the throat because he jerked just in time.

Candice hissed menacingly and fired another spike into the knee that Tremor had struck earlier. The Alpha howled and fell to his knee. Outside the guards opened a hatch on the door and peered in. Candice's energy was spreading rapidly throughout the chamber, covering the walls and ceiling in a ghostly pale frost. The guards stepped back and clutched at their faces, whimpering like cubs as the jagged ice particles stung their eyes.

"I think Tremor is a saint for not going ballistic on you and keeping his promise to me," Candice growled. "But I can never forgive you for what you did to his sister and put him through."

"I'm not asking for your pity or forgiveness dragon!" Snarl grabbed the spear that was lodged in his leg and with an agonized yell, yanked it out. His blood spattered across the floor and hands as he gripped his wounded limb. He took a couple of quick breaths before grabbing a stone off the floor and crushing it in his hand. The broken bits fell onto his wound and meshed together to create a hard, protective brace for his leg.

Candice glared at the wolf as he began to glow with green energy. When snarl raised his head his eyes were glowing. He rose to his feet and grabbed his bladed weapon. Candice remained steadfast as the wolf leader approached her. Snarl slowly raised his blade and brought the point to Candice's eye level. The dragoness narrowed her eyes and ice began to form on the blade. Snarl bared his fangs and growled at her defiance. He barked furiously and swung the killing blow.

"I feel weak," Spyro whimpered to himself. He was curled up in a fetal ball, surrounded by darkness again.

"You are weak," Malefor's voice echoed in his head.

"No, I'm not weak. I'm a lot stronger than you are," Spyro snapped subversively.

"That may have been true at one point in time young dragon," said The Dark Master. "But you are in my realm now. And here I rule!" A pair of sinister yellow eyes appeared and the darkness shattered. Spyro opened his eyes slightly. His vision wavered slightly but focused after a brief moment of nausea. He was no longer inside the cage anymore but still remained suspended by an invisible force. Down below he could see Malefor smiling at him.

"Good to see you're awake young dragon." The Dark Master gave an acknowledging nod.

"Malefor..." Spyro growled and bared his teeth. Then he realized what he was staring at. "Wait, you're alive? But how is this possible?"

"Spyro, when are you going to learn that anything is possible?" Liun shook his head as he walked up beside the Dark Master. "It's because of you that I was able to bring Malefor back."

"No! That's a lie!" Spyro snapped. "I'd never willingly do such a thing!"

"You didn't have to." Malefor snorted. "It's the same story as last time. Everything you've done has been a part of my plan to come back to make your life a living hell."

"If that's the case then why haven't you been able to steal my powers? You've tried so hard but you've gotten nothing out of it!"

Malefor frowned and struck Spyro with his long claws. Spyro cried out as he flew back and hit the wall before crumbling to the floor. The purple dragon tried to get to his feet but his energy was draining fast.

Malefor lumbered up to him and brought his massive head down close to Spyro's. "I will admit that you and your little guardian friends have been an immense thorn in my side from the beginning. But can I tell you now that they are all dead."

"What?" Spyro's eyes widened in horror. "Th-that can't be! You're lying!"

"I've never lied to you before young dragon. Why would I start now?" Malefor gave an insulted huff and a puff of fire burst from his mouth. Spyro shrank back and watched as the flames dissipated into a cloud of black smoke. "That was from your fire guardian Flame. He put up quite a fight, but in the end he succumbed to his injuries. And," Malefor turned his head and unleashed a wave of fire that melted through the stones in the wall. Spyro shielded himself behind his wing from the intense heat. When the blaze died down Malefor looked back at Spyro with a malevolent grin on his face. "Thanks to his friend, Ember I believe is what he screamed for her, my fire breath is twice as strong as before."

"No, Ember..." Spyro felt his heart sink.

Malefor laughed and turned towards the opposite wall and roared. A blast of ice streamed from his throat surrounded bay waves of electric energy. The ice hit the wall, freezing the stones before destroying them with the bolts of lightning.

"The ice dragoness didn't put up much of a fight." Liun explained as he walked up to a devastated Spyro. "She was too grief-stricken over losing Tremor that she just sat there and waited for Malefor to kill her."

"That's not true!" Spyro shouted with tears in his eyes. "Candice is nothing like that! She's not weak minded like that! I know she would have fought back with everything she had!"

"Believe what you want Spyro." Liun shrugged. "But Candice didn't die until after Stella threw herself in front of Malefor's attack to try and save her. It was because of Candice that Stella died. Though I would have liked her to stay around as my mate, I can't argue with the results." The black dragon thrust his chest out and spread his wings as he began to glow with convexity. "I have the power I've always wanted. Plus I still have quite a picking from the female black dragons we captured during the raid on the dragon city."

"You bastard." Spyro grit his teeth and swung at Liun but was too weak to connect with any power. Liun grabbed Spyro's wrist in his jaws and hurled him against the glowing hot rocks Malefor had melted with his fire breath. Spyro screamed as the scales on his back began to burn away. He flung himself onto the floor desperate to relieve the searing pain in his back on the chilled stones of the floor.

"Don't be so quick to judge Spyro," Liun continued with his verbal torment. "For a while I was beginning to hate you since it looked like I wouldn't be able to acquire the power I wanted. But now that I've got it, I'm willing to do you a favor."

"Do me a favor, and don't!" Spyro spat on the black dragon's chest. The gesture infuriated Liun and he slammed a paw down on Spyro's ribs before letting lose a surge of dark lightning. Spyro screamed in agony as he felt the energy tear him apart from the inside out. When Liun removed his paw he stepped back, letting the purple dragon twitch and convulse on the floor like a dying fish out of water.

"I'm still thankful to you Spyro." Liun shrugged. "So in return I promise that after you're dead I will take care of Cynder for you."

"Cynder?" Spyro raised his head off the floor; it felt heavy.

Across the room a pair of white eyes shined through the darkness of the hallways. Spyro's eyes grew wide as the black dragoness strolled casually into the room. Her eyes were void of emotion and her scales were no longer the elegant, graceful black he had come to love so much, but rather a pitch black in which all light seemed to disappear into.

"Cynder!" Spyro called out to her but the dragoness paid him no attention.

"She really is a great catch." Liun sneered as the dragoness stopped beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. Liun turned and brought a paw under her chin. Spyro's eyes widened in horror as the black dragons locked lips. Spyro's pupils shrank as his heart rate quickened. Liun broke the kiss and licked his lips lustfully. "Yeah, I'll be sure to take very good care of her."

"Nooooo!" Spyro roared. "Cynder!" The purple dragon was suddenly on his feet, convexity erupting from his body. Spyro's faded purple scales flashed silver before turning to the darkest black Liun had ever seen. His purple eyes flashed with violet energy before shining with pure white hate. Flames of dark magic licked at the rims of his mouth and convexity came in steamy gusts from the gashed Malefor had left across his body. Liun did his best to remain calm in the face of the enraged dark dragon but Malefor sensed his fear.

"Do not worry. He's no threat to us here."

"That's what you think!" Dark Spyro snarled, his voice warped by the darkness inside his heart. "I'm going to kill every last one of you!"

Cynder screamed and collapsed to the floor.

"Cynder what's wrong? What's going on?" Stella cried. She rushed over to her friend who lay on the floor, clutching at her head and trembling in fear.

"I-it's Spyro! I can feel him! I feel his pain! We're losing him!"

"What?" Flame gasped. "Losing him?"

"We have to get out of here!" Ember shouted. "We can't afford to wait for a rescue!"

"But how?" Flame demanded. "That barrier is what's keeping us in here!"

"Well we have to try!" Ember shot back. "I'm not going to sit back and lose another friend without a fight!"

"Then let's get to work!" Stella fumed and pushed past the two fire breathers. She planted herself in the middle of the room and spread her wings wide. With a piercing cry she unleashed a burst of lightning at the door. The wood shattered and started to come back together. Just as it was nearly fixed the splinters stopped moving. The guardians gasped as they saw the splintered wood hover around the area where Stella was focusing her lightning.

At last Stella needed to take a breath. Lightning crackled around her body and her manifested adult self appeared with an angry roar. The dragons pitched their heads forward and fired another concentrated bolt that smashed both doors. The electric energy warped against the barrier but the shield still refused to yield.

"Have some of this!" Ember inhaled with everything she had and fired a white-hot beam of burning energy.

"You're not leaving me out!" Flame growled. He let loose a furious roar and his body shook as the energy rippled through him. The red, flame-like markings lit up across his hide and his eyes burned with scarlet energy. The fire guardian's jaws opened wide and a crimson beam burst from the back of his throat. The barrier warped even more but still remained intact.

Cynder got up off the floor and staggered over to the three dragons. Her head spun and her stomach churned violently. The black dragoness spread her wings, her tail blade lashing the air as she gathered her power. Cynder let out a cry and unleashed a wave of convexity. The combined roars of the dragons thundered throughout the castle. The barrier began to warp itself and bend from the combined powers of the guardians.

"I think we've got it now!" Flame called. No sooner had he spoke than the barrier began to fight back. With a bright flash of light, the energy was reflected back at the young dragons and sent all four of them crashing into the far wall.

As the dust began to settle Ember opened her eyes to see the door repairing itself again. "Oh no you don't!" She growled and sprang to her feet. She fired a barrage of sparklers that exploded against the wood, shattering it again. This gave her the time she needed to draw up her power from deep within. The pink dragoness released everything she had into one concentrated blast of fire.

"I've got your back!" Flame yelled and moved up beside her. His red markings were glowing bright and sending up wisps of fire and smoke. The guardian reared his head back and roared with all his might.

Stella shook her head and staggered to her feet. After a couple deep breaths her body shook as her power began to rise up once again. The lightning guardian lunged forward and her manifested self struck the door head on, pushing with all her might against it.

"Hang on Spyro." Cynder whispered as she became shrouded in convexity. The black dragoness began to grow as her energy billowed from her body. The adult dragoness's eyes flashed red and she let loose a piercing cry that shattered the remains of the door and the wall around it. "We're coming for you! Just hold out a little longer!"


	69. Chapter 68

Snarl's jaw hung open and his eyes widened in shock. He hadn't even seen the young dragon move, but there he was, standing in front of him. Tremor glared at the Alpha while his body radiated with energy.

Behind him Candice had her eyes squeezed tightly shut. When she didn't feel the sting of the wolf's blade she cracked on eye open and gasped at the sight before her. Tremor had thrown himself in front of her and stood on his hind legs allowing him to stop the wolf's blow with his front paws. But the earth guardian's legs weren't strong enough for such a defensive move. Snarl pushed down on the dragon's paws but Tremor was determined to protect his dragoness. He angled his head to the side, catching Snarl's blade on the hooked horn that stuck out on the side of his head.

"Tremor," Candice squeaked in surprise.

The earth guardian roared. He leaped up and drop-kicked the wolf in the chest knocking him across the room. "Thanks for the delay." Tremor groaned as he got to his feet. "It gave me just enough time to draw up the power I needed."

Candice smiled. "What would you do without me?"

Tremor glanced at her over his shoulder. "Let's hope I never find out." The dragons turned their attention back to the Alpha as an angry howl rang in their ears. Snarl picked himself off the pile of rubble and glared at Tremor.

"So you still have some fight left in you do you?"

"More than you know," Tremor growled. "When you put Candy in danger there is no end to my power!" He gave an earth shaking roar and spread his wings in a full display of his power.

"Then let's see how well you fare against someone of your own magnitude." Snarl sneered as his energy began to shroud the room in an abnormal green glow.

"You're not just going to be fighting me." Tremor shook his head. His energy began to spread and Snarl's eyes grew wide as Gaia manifested beside her brother.

"You're going to be fighting both of us!" The twins chimed in unison.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Snarl lunged for Tremor and swung his blade. Tremor ducked and head-butted the wolf in the chest, sending him into the roof. Gaia leaped forward, turning into a ball of pure energy and slamming into the Alpha. The wolf bellowed as he rolled across the ground and caught himself before he could hit the wall again. Tremor and Gaia charged. The twins zig-zagged in between each other, their energy crossing paths and glowing stronger than before. The wolf's eyes moved from one dragon to the other, unsure of who to strike first. Just as he was about to strike, Tremor clamped his jaws down on the wolf's arm, causing a piercing howl to echo down the halls. Tremor swung the wolf around by his arm into Gaia's tail attack. The Alpha felt the wind rush out of him and his ribs crack from the blow and he collapsed on his knees. More blood spurted from under the stones that covered the puncture wound Candice had given him.

Tremor reared his head back and fired an earth bullet, but Snarl was waiting for it. The wolf blocked the blast and deflected it in Gaia's direction. The energy struck the dragoness in the chest and knocked her against the wall.

"Gaia!" Tremor cried but Snarl grabbed him around the neck and tail. The wolf lifted him up and drove his knee into Tremor's stomach. Tremor coughed hard and blood spattered across Snarl's chest. The wolf pulled him into his knee again before turning him upside down and crushing him between his knee and elbow.

"Tremor!" Candice screamed. Beside her, Gaia got to her feet and glared at the wolf.

"I won't let you take my brother's life!" She hissed and charged Snarl head on. The Alpha turned and flung her brother's body at her. Gaia dissipated when Tremor passed through her and hit the floor.

"What?" The wolf's eyes grew wide and widened even more when he felt an impact against the back of his head. Gaia appeared from behind him and slammed her tail club into the wolf's skull. Snarl staggered forward and fell to his knee, causing another stream of blood to spurt from the stone brace on his leg. Tremor lifted his head and fired an earth bullet in hopes of catching the wolf off guard. Snarl turned one eye up and swatted the attack away and into Gaia again.

"Tremor, you're not getting anywhere with that!" Candice shouted. "You're only hurting Gaia when you use your elemental breath!"

"I'm fine!" Gaia assured her friend as she got to her feet and moved over to lend her energy to her brother. Snarl watched in silence as the two dragons readied for another charge. "Wait for it..." Gaia's voice whispered in her brother's mind.

The Alpha narrowed his eyes at the two earth dragons suspiciously. All of a sudden everything went red then darkness took over Snarl's vision. He shook his head trying to shake the blind feeling that he been stricken with.

"Now!" Gaia shouted in her brother's mind. The two dragons charged forward and Snarl stiffened when he heard Tremor's claws scuffle on the floor.

Still blinded, the wolf lunged forward, arms spread and claws ready to tear into them. The twins sprang into the air and beat their wings once. Snarl felt pressure clamp down on both his wrists. He was swung around twice before being released. The wolf howled as he was thrown against the metal doors. The guards on the outside jumped in surprise when a large dent burst outward.

Tremor breathed heavily for a couple seconds then began to cough hard. His lungs felt like they were closing up and the burning inside them hurt even worse.

"Tremor, are you alright?" Candice asked, shaking in her chains slightly.

"We've almost beaten him, Tremor." Gaia whispered, placing a comforting paw on his shoulder. "Just stay strong a little longer."

"You should know me by now sis," The earth guardian chuckled between coughs. "I'm too stubborn to quit."

"I know." Gaia smiled. "But a few words of support never hurt anyone."

"You... haven't beaten me... yet." Snarl growled as he struggled to get to his feet. The brace around his knee had been shattered allowing his blood to flow freely. Streams of blood trickled from his eyes, nose and mouth, soaking his dark grey fur. Snarl clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white.

The Alpha began to glow again. Tremor stepped in front of Candice to protect her just in case the wolf tried anything.

With an angry snarl the pack leader dove for his blade. He grabbed the handle as he rolled to his feet and hurled the blade at Gaia. The dragoness dissolved again as the weapon passed through her and lodged itself into the wall.

Tremor lunged for Snarl's throat but the wolf was in a blind rage. The Alpha smacked Tremor into the floor before lifting him up and driving his knee into his back. Tremor screamed in pain as the pressure threatened to snap his spine in half. Snarl plunged his claws into Tremor's chest. The earth dragon's screams grew louder as the wolf proceeded to dig his claws in deeper and deeper.

"Let go of him!" Gaia shouted and launched herself at Snarl's arm. She struck his hand causing the wolf to drop her brother but the hit did little more than distract him. Tremor was beginning to fade and thus her own power was weakening.

Snarl turned and grabbed the handle of his weapon that was still embedded in the wall. He looked back at the earth dragon on the floor that was making every attempt to get back on his feet. Candice's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. She struggled against the restraints even harder as Snarl tightened his grip on the handle. In a last desperate attempt to save her mate's life, Candice's body gave a massive, inward heave. She yanked the ball up that held her tail and swung her tail, causing the chain to wrap around the Alpha's arm as he wrenched his weapon free. Candice cringed when she felt the force of the swing stretch her spine out, causing several vertebrae to pop loudly.

Snarl looked back in surprise at the ice dragoness. Candice smiled devilishly and twisted in her chains. The move twisted Snarl's wrist and he howled in pain and fell on his back. The dragoness kicked at the wolf's hands as he struggled to free his hand and weapon from the chains. When she kept kicking his hand away Snarl swung a heavy fist into Candice's gut. The dragoness choked when the air rushed out of her, temporarily immobilizing her. The Alpha grabbed the chains and pulled his hand and blade free, shattering the chains that restrained Candice's deadly tail blade.

In a flash, the canine was on his feet, ready to end the dragoness's life.

"Gaia!" Tremor shouted as he got to his feet. The twins attacked in unison. Tremor struck the back of Snarl's knees, causing them to buckle, while Gaia simultaneously slammed her tail into his chest. As Snarl fell back he swung his blade at the ice guardian hoping to connect the hit. Candice ducked and the jagged blade passed just inches over her head.

Snarl rolled and bounced across the floor but landed on his feet. As he looked up Tremor appeared in his field of vision and fired an earth bullet, shattering his weapon. The wolf grabbed him about the throat but Gaia struck his humerus, numbing the wolf's arm. Snarl dropped Tremor, who landed on his feet and rolled back. The earth guardian dug down deep and opened his jaws wide with a mighty roar, releasing the largest earth missile Candice had ever seen. Snarl blocked the attack with his one good arm.

"I won't lose!" Snarl bellowed. "I refuse to lose to a pathetic dragon like you!"

Tremor's eyes narrowed as he felt his energy being pushed against him. He dug his claws into the floor and braced against his opponent's force.

"You can do it Tremor!" Gaia coaxed as she merged with his spirit again. "I believe in you!"

"Yeah!" Tremor nodded and unleashed the loudest roar he could muster.

Snarl hollered as he felt the bones in his body begin to shake from the guardian's immense power. The quake surged through his arm and spread throughout the rest of his body. The ferocity of Tremor's earth missile swept over him like an avalanche. The Alpha was thrown against the wall, shattering every bone in his body before the earth missile hit, blowing a colossal hole in the wall and shaking the entire castle.

The dust choked both guardians' lungs and they both coughed hard, Tremor more than Candice. The earth guardian fell to his knees and struggled for air but only succeeded in making the coughing worse. Gaia appeared next to Tremor and spread her wings, giving them a few powerful flaps. The energy blew the dust down the deep tunnel Tremor's attack had created, temporarily relieving her brother.

"Thanks sis." Tremor hacked and spattered more blood across the floor.

"I told you, when you need me, I'll be there for you." Gaia smiled gently at him.

"Tremor!" Candice cried. The earth dragon turned to see her struggling to free herself with the use of her tail blade.

"Hang on Candy, I've got you." Tremor trudged over to her, stifling his coughs before firing an earth bullet into the chain that dangled from the ceiling. The chain shattered and Tremor caught her before she could hit the ground. The earth dragon fell onto his back with his dragoness on top of him. The force of her falling on his chest caused another fit of coughing from the earth dragon but Candice paid it no mind. She squirmed her way out of the chains and began smothering his face with kisses.

"Tremor!" She sobbed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"It's okay Candy," Tremor wheezed, stroking her crest. "Every thing is okay."

"I'm so sorry." She wept and collapsed onto his chest. She could hear for herself how labored his breathing was.

"Sorry for what?" Tremor craned his neck towards her with a raised brow.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I said that I hated you. But I don't! I love you Tremor! I love you more than I have the words for right now!"

"I love you Can..." Candice didn't wait to here him finish. She got up and pressed her lips to Tremor's as the hot, salty tears trickled down her muzzle and across Tremor's face.

Off to the side Gaia smiled at the sight before her. She could feel the love from her brother swell up inside her own spirit and she sighed deeply. The sound caused the guardian's to open their eyes and look up at her. Candice stepped off of Tremor allowing him to get back on his feet.

"Oh, don't stop on my account." Gaia giggled. The guardians laughed and Candice's cheeks flushed.

"Thanks for the help sis." Tremor smiled as he walked over to her. "I couldn't have done it without you two."

Gaia only smiled. "Thank you Tremor."

The earth guardian cocked his head curiously. "For what?"

Gaia thrust her head towards Candice. "For keeping your promise."

Candice's cheeks burned even more and Tremor joined her in the embarrassment. But he recovered quickly and smiled at his twin. "Anything for my sister."

"And I'm thankful you kept your promise to me." Candice purred nuzzling her mate's neck with her long, smooth horns. Gaia nodded in agreement.

"That's my brother Tremor for you." She giggled for a second but then stopped when the room shook. "You two should get moving. I think the others are going to need your help."

"Good idea." Candice nodded. She and Tremor started towards the iron doors.

Tremor stopped and turned to look back at his sister. "Rest in peace, Gaia." He sighed as tears trickled down his cheek.

"I will." Gaia nodded. "Though I'll still be around." The two guardians watched as she began to merge back with Tremor. "By the way, mom says 'hello'." Tremor only chuckled as she vanished from sight. He felt her power swell up inside him and he took a deep breath. He coughed hard as he exhaled and Candice gave him a worried stare.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Tremor assured her. "Just a little winded." As usual, the earth dragon didn't realize the severity of his cough. "Let's get out of here!" Candice nodded with a determined smile. "Stand back." Tremor stepped closer to the door and took in a deep breath.

The guards outside the door heard the thunderous roar and covered their ears as the heavy iron doors were blown from their hinges. The wolves barked and yelped in surprise as dust filled the dungeon. The dust suddenly turned to ice and the yelps of surprise quickly turned to cries of pain when the particles stung their eyes. A low growl echoed throughout the cell block. The wolves froze, not from fear but from a blast of dragon ice breath.

"We're clear!" Candice called and stepped delicately between the frozen bodies. "Let's move!"

"I'm right behind you sweetheart." Tremor chuckled, stifling another cough.

"Hey! Wait! Get me out of here!" A familiar voice called. The guardians stopped where they were and looked at each other.

"Who said that?" Tremor inquired and looked around the dimly lit chamber.

"Up here!" The voice called again. The two dragons turned their eye up to the ceiling to see a lantern with a golden yellow dragonfly pressed against the glass staring down at them.

"Sparx?"

"No. I'm the other dragonfly that hangs out with you guardians, Wallace. Pleased to meet you!"

"Wow, they turned you into a lantern?" Candice nearly burst out laughing.

"You know, the longer you stare, the longer I'm up here!"

"Alright, alright." Tremor sighed. "We'll get you down. Candice?"

"You got it!" The ice dragoness spat a single spike that shot through the glass bottom of the lantern. Sparx hugged the sides to avoid getting impaled in the process before slipping through the hole in the bottom.

"Boy, that was close." He whistled and brushed the back of his hand against his forehead.

"Does that happen often?" Tremor inquired jokingly.

"More often than I like," Sparx grumbled.

"I guess the bad guys know a good thing when they see it." Candice chuckled.

"Yeah yeah yeah. Can we get going?" Sparx demanded.

"Works for me." Tremor nodded and charged down the hall.


	70. Chapter 69

The halls were crawling with mutant wolves and black dragons. Tremor and Candice escaped the dungeon with very little resistance to stop them but now they faced the brunt of the Dark Master's recovering forces.

"We don't have time to waste on these guys!" Tremor shouted as he side-stepped the claws of a large black dragon before slamming his tail across the dragon's face.

"I'm open to suggestions Tremor!" Candice called back and froze a cluster of wolves where they stood.

"Here's an idea for both of you," Sparx interrupted. "Run!" The dragonfly took off down the hall past the other wolves and dragons.

"Sparx! Wait for us!" Candice hollered after him and took off past Tremor. She spread her wings and shot over the claws and weapons that swung at her underbelly.

"Out of my way!" Tremor ordered and covered himself in rock and barreled through the mass of bodies that blocked his path. The wolves yelped and leaped out of the way as the massive boulder rumbled down the hall. Candice banked around the first corner and Tremor burst from the protection of his barrier and shattered the rock, peppering the hides of the enemies that pursued them. He took to the air and quickly caught up to Candice.

"That should slow them down at least. But I'm not sure for how long." He coughed.

"Then let's make every second count." Candice beat her wings harder and shot past Sparx.

"Hey! Wait for me!" The dragonfly waved as the dragons ducked around another corner.

"Damn it! How big is this bloody place?" Tremor demanded.

"I don't know!" Candice called back over her shoulder. "I say we keep going until we find some sign of the others."

"Do you think we have that much time?" Tremor asked, looking back over his shoulder. He fired another earth bullet to block the hallway behind them to slow the wolves and dragons down.

"I guess we'll find out." Candice shrugged.

"Is it me, or is getting hotter all of a sudden?" Sparx asked when he caught up to Tremor.

"I don't think so." Tremor shrugged before something caught his attention. "Hey Candice do you hear that?"

"Yeah!" Candice perked up. "It sounds like dragons!"

"Uh, shouldn't we be going in the opposite direction then?" Sparx asked nervously.

"No, it's the others!" Candice replied. "I'd recognize those roars anywhere!"

"Are you sure?" Tremor inquired with a raised brow.

"Positive!"

"I wonder how she knows," Tremor muttered to Sparx.

"Must be a girl thing."

Candice's heart raced as she beat her wings faster. She banked around another corner and saw the shimmering surface of a magic barrier extending into the hallway. The sounds of dragons roaring was nearly deafening but not compared to the roaring and crackling of combined attacks on a focused spot. All off a sudden the barrier exploded. Candice screamed as she was sent flying back down the hall. Just then Tremor and Sparx turned the corner. Candice slammed into the earth guardian and they both crumbled to the floor.

"I can't believe it!" Ember gasped. "We did it!" The pink dragoness bounded out of the room and into the dust-covered hallway.

"Great work you guys." Cynder nodded approvingly at the mass of damage they had made. She shrank back to her normal size and turned a firm gaze on the other guardians. "Now we need to go find Spyro."

"Cynder?" Sparx coughed as he fluttered through the dust and smoke.

"Sparx?" Cynder and the other guardians turned with wide eyes, surprised to see the dragonfly. "Oh my gosh! Sparx! Thank the ancestors you're okay!"

"Yeah. I'm glad to see you too." The dragonfly answered with a smug grin. "I missed you guys too. Although I see you've been having fun destroying everything in sight while I've been trapped in the dirty smelly dungeon this whole time."

"Hey, we had to destroy that stinking barrier that was holding us captive in that place." Ember pointed an angry talon at the demolished chamber. "It hasn't been a walk in the park for us either you know."

"If you were trapped in the dungeons, how did you get out?" Cynder asked skeptically.

"Those two." Sparx turned and pointed to Candice who lay on the floor.

"Candice!" Stella ran towards her friend as Candice lifted her head and shook the dizziness away. "You're okay!"

Before Candice could say anything Tremor groaned and slid out from underneath her. "That... really... hurt." He winced and clutched at his chest.

"Tremor?" Stella's eyes grew wide with astonishment. "You're alive!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close.

"Tremor?" Flame, Ember and Cynder gasped as they came bounding up to them.

"We thought you were dead!" Ember sniffled, relieved to see that he was still with them.

"I'm not quite sure that I'm not," Tremor wheezed as the dragons piled on top of him. "But I won't be for much longer if you keep squeezing me like this!"

"I agree!" Candice squeaked from under the pile of dragons. "You're killing me too." The guardians helped them up and allowed them to shake the dust from their scales.

"As always, Tremor," Flame pointed out as he looked his friend over, "You look like hell."

"Aww, you noticed," Tremor replied sarcastically.

Just then a beam of convexity cut through the castle. The girls screamed and ducked under their wings as the violet energy burned a hole in the ceiling above them.

"What's going on?" Tremor shouted.

"Spyro's in trouble!" Flame replied over the dragoness's screaming. "We have to get to him before the Dark Master can steal his last power!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sparx called as he flew up towards the gaping hole in the ceiling.

"We're right behind you Sparx!" Cynder hollered and took to the air with the other dragons following close behind her.

"Tremor," Candice fell to the rear beside the earth dragon. "We're going to hang back and make sure no other forces follow after us. We can't afford to be overwhelmed when we face the Dark Master."

"I understand." Tremor nodded. He knew the situation was serious and Candice could read it in his eyes. With each level the dragons passed through, Tremor would fire an earth bullet, collapsing the walls and allowing Candice to freeze them over with thick layers of ice.

After what seemed like forever the guardians emerged out of the top spire of the castle. When they set foot on the floor, Candice froze over the hole.

"Oh no..." Cynder's voice trailed off. Across from them sat Liun. The black dragon was sitting calmly in a trance-like state. Black magic billowed from his body and around a suspended cage a few feet from where he sat. Below the cage was a violet crystal containing Spyro's power of lightning.

"Liun!" Flame shouted across the room but the black dragon didn't move. He didn't even hear him.

"What's going on?" Stella asked, taking a few wary steps forward.

"I don't know," Flame growled "But I'm going to get that bastard!" He charged forward, horns ready to impale the black dragon.

"Flame, wait!" Ember called. The fire guardian slid to a halt and turned a confused look on his dragoness. "Something feels wrong about this," Ember muttered looking around the room.

"I agree." Cynder nodded as the guardians stepped cautiously towards Liun and Spyro. Just then a beam of convexity shot from Spyro's body. "Look out!" Cynder shouted and dove out of the way as the beam cut through the floor. The guardians scattered before the stone that was beneath their feet melted away.

"What's Spyro doing?" Stella asked eyeing the curled up purple dragon inside the cage.

"I don't know," Cynder hissed, "But whatever Liun is doing to him, it ends right now." Cynder rushed forward, aiming at Liun. Candice glanced from Liun to Spyro and narrowed her eyes. She suddenly saw Spyro's eyes crack open and her heart skipped a couple beats.

"Candice, what's wrong?" Tremor asked when the ice dragoness groaned, clutching at her chest.

"Cynder! Wait!" Candice shouted, but the black dragoness had already lunged for Liun. The black dragons rolled over one another and Cynder pinned Liun on his back.

The black dragon's eyes opened and began to glow yellow as Malefor's consciousness took over.

"You shouldn't have done that, Cynder," He growled. Cynder looked back over her shoulder to see that the dark magic that had been surrounding Liun and Spyro was fading away. The shadows released Spyro from their hold and retreated into Liun's body.

"Oh no," Cynder said as Dark Spyro let loose a furious roar. The room shook and beams of convexity began to pierce through the castle and its towers. The guardians took to the air and dodged the beams that continued to shoot out from Spyro's body.

"This is your fault, Cynder." Liun laughed. "It would have been containable if you hadn't interfered with my work."

"Shut up!" Cynder snapped and struck the black dragon across the face, leaving three bloody gashes on his scarred cheek. Liun kicked Cynder off of him and charged her head on. He rammed her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. He flipped into the air, tail blade preparing for a fatal strike.

"Oh no you don't!" Flame jumped in front of Cynder, slapping the black dragon's tail away. Liun hit the floor and Tremor charged in, bucking him into the air with his horns. Once Liun was airborne, Candice darted in, slashing the dark dragon across his chest with her long talons before twisting away and letting Stella follow up with a bolt of lightning. The attack struck Liun in the chest and sent him crashing through the wall.

"Thanks, you guys," Cynder huffed as Flame helped her to her feet.

"Spyro, hey!" Sparx waved to the dark dragon. "Hey, Spyro! It's me buddy! You're ol' lovable friend Sparx!" The dark dragon turned his evil, white eyes on the dragonfly with puffs of convexity jetting between his clenched teeth. Sparx shrank back and his antennae drooped. "Yo, Spyro... Don't you recognize me bud?"

"Sparx! Get away from him!" Cynder cried. She leaped up and curled herself around the dragonfly as a beam of convexity shot from Spyro's body. The black dragoness shrouded herself in a protective orb of purple energy and the beam clashed against the barrier. Cynder rolled away, allowing the beam to cut into the floor.

Spyro let loose another roar and a wave of convexity burst from his body. The bars of the cage shattered and fell to the floor. The guardians all shielded themselves from the tremendous force of the wave.

"He's too powerful!" Ember cried over the roar of Spyro and the wind whirling throughout the room.

"Stay strong!" Candice called as she beat her wings against the opposing forces.

"Spyro!" Cynder cried as she pushed against the shock waves of convexity that were tearing the castle apart. "It's okay! It's me!" The purple dragon refused to listen and continued his onslaught.

"Cynder, you have to get through to him before he brings this entire place down!" Flame hollered.

"I'm trying!" Cynder yelled back.

It was then that Liun emerged from the hole in the wall. He glanced at Cynder and rushed straight for her.

"Watch out!" Tremor dove down and tackled the black dragon to the ground.

"Tremor, be careful!" Candice cried as she watched the two males roll over each other in a mass of hissing and clawing.

"You should have been dead long ago, guardian!" Liun snarled and slashed Tremor across the chest with his blade.

"Clearly you haven't heard Candice's stories about how stubborn I am!" Tremor head-butted the black dragon, knocking him senseless.

Cynder watched the two males brawl across the floor. When Tremor managed to stun Liun long enough he turned to her. "Go! Now!" He shouted. Cynder flinched against another wave of convexity before leaping into the air. She flew straight at Spyro only to get knocked back by another surge of convexity.

"Spyro! It's me, Cynder!" She wailed. "Remember me?" Dark Spyro paused and stared at the black dragoness with hate-filled eyes. "You remember me right?" Cynder asked as she hovered closer to the dark dragon. The surging convexity began to subside around Spyro and the darkness began to leave his scales.

"C-Cynder?" Spyro's normal voice whimpered mournfully. "Is that really you?"

"Of course it is Spyro." Cynder reached a paw out to stroke his cheek. Slowly Spyro's scales began to return to normal but his eyes remained the same. He looked around the room at the guardians then to Cynder and then his gaze fell upon Tremor who had Liun pinned to the ground. The earth dragon smiled over his shoulder and nodded and Spyro nodded back.

Liun leaned his head up and Malefor's yellow eyes flashed. Spyro's eyes grew wide and the darkness in his heart suddenly burst free. He let out a scream as his scales darkened again and his white eyes lit up as convexity began to surge from his body.

"Cynder, help me!" He wailed but his voice trailed off before turning into a blood curdling roar.

"Spyro! No!" Cynder screamed.

"What did you do?" Tremor fumed and turned back to the dark dragon beneath his paws. "I know you did something to cause that!"

"Well don't you know me very well." Liun sneered. Tremor roared and struck Liun across the face with a heavy paw. The blow stunned the black dragon and Tremor turned towards Dark Spyro.

"Spyro! Remember me!?" Cynder pleaded. "Remember the ones who care about you! The ones who love you the most!" Spyro's constant roars drowned out the dragoness's words.

At last Cynder had had enough. She threw herself at Spyro as another wave of convexity swept across the room. Cynder grabbed on to Spyro's face and pressed her lips to his. The noise from Spyro's roar subsided as he began to recognize the feeling that swept over him.

"It's just an illusion Spyro." Malefor's voice rang loud in his head. "Just like this entire place. It's all one big illusion."

"Noooo!" Spyro screamed in his head. He shoved Cynder away and continued with his blind rampage.

"Spyro, don't!" Cynder cried, shocked that he had shoved her away.

Just then the crystal containing the purple dragon's lightning power began to pulsate.

"Shit, we need to destroy that thing!" Stella hollered. She dove toward the crystal and spat a bolt of lightning. The bolt was absorbed into the crystal and the pulsing energy quickened. "Hm." The lightning guardian thought. She landed beside the large crystal and placed her paws on the hard surface. She let out a piercing cry and let her electric current flow into the crystal. The crystal's energy began to pulse faster and faster. Before long the light was flashing like a strobe.

Liun lifted his head to see the energy inside the crystal behaving erratically. His eyes widened in horror. "No! What are you doing?" He shouted furiously. He tried to squirm out from underneath Tremor but the guardian held him fast.

Stella glanced at the black dragon as she continued to force more of her own power into the crystal. "Overloading this thing. I won't let you get your slimy claws on Spyro's power as long as I'm alive to do something about it." The energy inside the crystal began to change from a golden yellow to a deep orange as the crystal's power capacity reached critical mass.

"No! That power is mine!" Malefor roared and Liun's eyes flashed yellow. Dark magic began to burn from underneath his scales and Tremor cringed against the pain. As Liun's shadows spread out Malefor took shape and let loose an angry roar.

"Get off of me!" Liun growled and wiggled an arm free to slash Tremor across the face. The earth dragon staggered back, stunned by the blow. Liun jumped to his feet and made a dash for Stella. Candice dove in and slammed the black dragon with everything she had. The two of them rolled across the floor before springing to their feet, snarling wildly at each other.

"Almost there!" Stella cried. She was beginning to fade fast but she wasn't going to quit until the crystal was destroyed. The deep orange of the confined energy turned to a dark, muddy brown and the crystal cracked.

"Get away from there!" Liun roared and tried to leap over Candice. The ice dragoness intercepted him in midair and slammed her tail across his face. Liun hit the ground and lunged for Stella again but Candice knocked him back again.

"Stop interfering!" Malefor roared and swung at Tremor. The Dark Master's claws raked across Tremor, sending him tumbling across the floor and spattering blood everywhere. The dark dragon lunged for Cynder and Stella but Flame and Ember were there to cut him off. Both fire breathers unleashed a spiraling wave of their breath, causing Malefor to bellow in pain. The shadows shrank back from the bright light and intense heat.

"Ember!" Flame called seeing the effect the light was having on him.

"On it!" The pink dragoness inhaled and screamed letting a shower of sparklers spiral about the room. Malefor's bellowing grew louder and the shadows began to fade away. The Dark Master collapsed to the floor and glared daggers at the two young fire dragons. He swung his long, deadly claws at Flame but Ember pushed him aside and opened her jaws wide. More sparklers shot from the dragoness's mouth, dissolving the shadows just before they could make contact. Malefor howled when half his arm was dissolved by the light.

"Keep it up Ember!" Flame coaxed. "Hold him back!"

"My pleasure!" The dragoness smiled and released another volley of sparklers.

"Get out of my way!" Liun snarled and swung his claws at Candice. The ice guardian grabbed his arm in her jaws and swung him around, turning his momentum against him. The wind rushed out of Liun when the dragoness flung him into the ground. The black dragon didn't have time to recover before the dragoness dropped down on top of him, driving her full weight into his stomach. Liun coughed and blood spattered against the guardian's hind legs. Candice gave him a disgusted look and slashed him across the face with her tail blade.

Liun glared back at her as blood seeped into his eye. His tail blade twitched angrily. Across the room, a dazed Tremor lifted his head to see the black dragon's tail flex, ready to strike.

"Candice, behind you!" He shouted.

The ice guardian turned her head and she saw the black dragon's blade rush up to meet her. She jerked her neck back and the blade missed her by mere centimeters. The guardian hopped off of Liun inducing a hard cough from the dark dragon. He rolled to his feet and slashed again with his tail blade. Candice blocked the attack with her own blade and slammed a paw into Liun's burned cheek. The black dragon gave an irritated roar and spun around, hoping to cut the dragoness in half. Candice jumped into the air and Liun's shadow-covered tail blade whistled beneath her. She coughed hard and Liun screamed, a long ice spike sticking out of his hind leg.

The black dragon retaliated with a bolt of dark lightning, catching Candice off guard. The dragoness shrieked in pain as the volts surged through her body. Liun increased the output, determined to kill her then and there. Without warning he felt a crushing force strike him in the chest. Tremor's earth bullet was enough to stop his attack and send him crashing into the wall.

Candice hit the floor and Tremor sprang over her and fired a salvo of earth missiles into Liun. With each hit the room shook and buried the black dragon deeper into the wall. To finish him off, Tremor inhaled as deeply as he could, his lungs burning like fire as he prepared his final breath attack. With an earth-shattering roar he fired a super missile and destroyed the uppermost half of the castle. The thunder of crashing stones and metal rang in the guardian's ears and died away as the lower levels of the castle collapsed.

"Candice." Tremor turned to his dragoness who lay still on the floor, her scales smoking slightly. Her beautiful violet breast scales were tainted by a nasty burn as well as several other scorch marks along her flank. "Candice?" Tremor nuzzled her cheek. The dragoness coughed hard and a couple tufts of smoke escaped from her mouth. "Thank the ancestors!" Tremor gasped and hugged her head close to his bloody chest.

"Tremor..." The dragoness whimpered, hugging him back.

"I thought I'd lost you for a second there."

"Not in this lifetime pebble-brain." The dragoness chuckled weakly. Their attention was grabbed by a loud crack. The crystal split in two and Stella screamed as she felt her power falling to dangerous levels.

"Spyro! Stop!" Cynder cried.

Dark Spyro glared at her and lashed out with his tail. The blow caught Cynder aside her head, knocking her to the ground. Flame dashed after the black dragoness as she slid towards the edge of the room that had fallen off from Tremor's super missile attack.

"I got you!" He called and grabbed the dragoness before she could fall over the edge. With a couple of hefty grunts, he pulled her back up as more stones fell to the rubble below.

"Are you two okay?" Ember came bounding up to them and took a defensive stance with her attention on Dark Spyro.

"He doesn't recognize me." Cynder sobbed as tears streamed down her cheeks. "He doesn't even recognize who I am..."

"Cynder..." Flame tried to comfort the dragoness but there was no time for that.

"Stella, get out of there!" Tremor roared.

"I've almost got it!" The lightning guardian shouted as another crack cut through the crystal and Spyro's energy began to escape. "Just a couple more seconds.

"Look out!" Sparx shouted. Stella looked up to see Dark Spyro turn his wicked white eyes down on her. A look of terror spread across the dragoness's face and she hugged herself closer to the crystal, trying to hide and finish what she had been trying to do. She could see the glow of convexity at the back of Spyro's throat as he charged up an attack.

"Spyro, that's enough!" Tremor lunged for his friend. Without even turning around, Dark Spyro's body surged with bolts of convexity. Tremor screamed as the destructive energy coursed through his body before throwing him back into the crumbling walls.

"Tremor!" Candice cried after him. She charged Spyro and fired a beam of ice at him. The aura of Spyro's convexity manifested into a dragon and blocked the attack with its wing. Candice skidded to a halt with wide eyes staring up at the wraithlike dragon towering over her. The beast snarled and swung its massive wing, knocking her into Tremor as he struggled to get up.

"Do something!" Sparx shouted as Dark Spyro focused the ball of energy at the back of his throat.

Before anyone could make a move Dark Spyro unleashed the blast into the top of the crystal. The crystal shattered with a deafening explosion. Stella screamed as she was thrown back across the room.

The explosion of negative energy rebounded them back up at Dark Spyro. The power that had been trapped inside the crystal fused with it and Spyro jolted from the recoil. The sudden overload of energy caused his body to swell like a balloon. The dark dragon screamed as his limbs began to expand to the point where they were about to burst.

"Spyro!" Cynder screamed.

The sudden sound of his mate's voice brought Spyro's consciousness back from the brink of eternal loss. No sooner had he recognized her, than the power inside him exploded. Spyro's screams echoed throughout the castle as his body was torn apart form the inside out. The energy that had gathered inside him escaped and suddenly his swollen limbs burst in a spray of blood. The dragon's body fell to the floor in a convulsing, bleeding mass.

"Oh my..." Ember began to wretch profusely at the sight before her. Behind her Cynder's eyes rolled back in her head and she fell limp.

"Cynder? Cynder!" Flame exclaimed and caught her before she could fall. "Cynder, come on! Wake up!" He coaxed patting her cheek.

Across the room Stella got to her feet and shook her head. She let out an agonized cry and collapsed to the floor. Her body was peppered with jagged shards of the broken crystal. She looked over to the purple dragon lying motionless on the floor in the middle of the room. She rose up again and staggered over to him. She found Sparx hovering beside his brother with a look of dismay on his face. Blood still flowed freely from the pores under Spyro's scales as well as his nose, mouth and eyes.

"Is he..." Stella winced as another wave of pain rushed through her. Sparx didn't answer; he was frozen in traumatic shock. Stella reached out hesitantly and placed a paw against Spyro's throat. Sparx watched her expression waiting for an answer. "Ember! Get over here now!" The lightning guardian shouted. The pink dragoness coughed and wiped her mouth, gasping for breath. "Hurry!" Stella ordered. Ember hustled over to her, still queasy from seeing Spyro in such a state. "Start healing Spyro! We can still save him but we have to do it now!"

"R-right." Ember nodded. She leaned down and picked up the blood-soaked purple dragon's head in her paws. He looked and felt so frail; not like the strong-willed hero she had grown to know so well. She took a deep breath and concentrated as she pressed her lips to his. Spyro's body began to glow golden as the healing energy swept through him.

Just then the room shook and broke Ember's concentration.

"What the hell was that?" Flame asked nervously as he carried Cynder over on his back.

"This place is falling apart." The guardians turned to see Tremor and Candice hobbling over to them. Bother were covered in cuts and bruises, Tremor more than Candice. "We need to get out of here before it collapses with us still in it." Candice reported.

"But what about healing Spyro?" Sparx whined with tears in his eyes.

"Don't worry yourself about him Sparx." Ember placed a comforting paw on his tiny head. "I'll take care of him, I promise." A slight smile tugged at the dragonfly's mouth. He knew if anyone would take care of Spyro besides Cynder it was Ember.

The castle shook again and the room began to slant.

"We need to get out of here!" Candice ordered.

"Then let's move!" Flame turned towards the open sky and spread his wings. He ran towards the edge of the room where the castle dropped off and sprang into the air. He beat his wings hard to get the air he needed and managed to stay aloft with a bit more effort than he expected. Candice and Tremor helped hoist Spyro's body onto Ember's back, but the purple dragon was so drenched in blood he slipped off.

"Candice, freeze him to her," Tremor ordered. "And you'll need to help her if necessary.

"Alright." Candice nodded before turning back to Ember. "Sorry about this."

"It's for Spyro; I can deal with it." The pink dragoness nodded and shut her eyes. There was a slight breeze and Ember felt Spyro's limbs freeze to her chest and legs. "I think I'm good." She reported after giving herself a slight shake to make sure he was secured. She followed after Flame, who was gliding in circles waiting for them.

"Hurry up!" He called. "This place is about to give." Another rumble shook the castle and the remaining guardians jolted from the sudden movement.

"Candice, go!" Tremor thrust his head towards the open sky beyond the room. The dragoness didn't argue and took off immediately. "Stella, climb on!" Tremor lowered himself for her to get onto his back.

"I'm all right Tremor." Stella tried to assure him but the earth dragon would have none of it.

"This isn't open for discussion." Tremor stared hard at her. "Get on now! We're running out of time! Sparx, stay close to me. I'll need you to get those shards out of Stella once we're out of here."

"R-right." The dragonfly nodded and waited for the lightning guardian to climb onto Tremor's back before tucking himself under her chest.

All at once the tower began to topple over.

"Tremor! Stella!" Candice screamed from outside.

"Damn it!" Tremor charged forward, letting the force of gravity gain him the speed he needed. As the tower started its final fall, the earth guardian fired an earth missile, blowing a hole in the ceiling. He flew out through the dust and debris and soared after his fellow guardians. Stella looked back over her shoulder to see the remains of the old fortress collapse in a massive cloud of dust and smoke. Fires had erupted in the lower levels, burning anything that had been trapped under them. She sighed sadly and tucked her head to Tremor's neck.

"You two okay?" Candice asked as she and Ember fell back behind Flame who was taking the lead.

"I guess," Stella murmured. "Just tired."

"Then get some rest," Candice urged her. "We have a long flight ahead of us."

Stella only nodded and closed her eyes. Tremor turned his head to his dragoness and smiled at her. "I love you," He whispered.

Candice returned the smile. "I love you too." She beat her wings harder and moved up next to Flame.

"So what's the plan?" The fire guardian asked in a rather monotone fashion.

"Hm..." Candice stared at Cynder who was resting on Flame's back. "I would like to go home... but..."

"But?" Flame raised a brow.

"I think we should follow through with what we were originally planning."

"You mean find the place Spyro was talking about?" Candice nodded. "Do you think that's a wise idea? I mean, just look at Spyro." Flame looked back over his shoulder at his dragoness who was flying with her eyes half open. He could see a faint golden glow around her and the purple dragon as she tried to fly and heal him at the same time. "And Ember really shouldn't be trying to heal him while she's flying. She could tire herself out and put both their lives in jeopardy."

"True." Candice nodded. "But my instinct is telling me that we need to find this place. I really can't explain it. I just trust Spyro's judgment."

The two guardians locked eyes for a long, tense moment. At last Flame nodded. "Alright then. Let's go." Candice smiled and nodded back. She took the lead and the other guardians fell into position. She banked to the right and the formation followed her lead toward the west.

The fallen fortress remained silent for several hours. It wasn't long until the rain began to fall, putting out the fires and soaking the remains of the castle walls. All of a sudden there was movement all around the castle. Patches of shadow fire slithered and crawled around the walls and across the piles of debris. They gathered together and came to a stop around one specific point in the debris pile. Then, dozens of black dragons emerged from the shadows. They were covered in bruises and gashes, some even suffering from broken bones. They all looked down at the center of the circle they were in and before long the stones began to move.

With a mighty roar Liun burst through the pile of rubble. In his weakened state he only managed to clear out enough to get his upper torso free. The other dragons moved in to help him up but he shoved them away angrily.

"Damn those dragons!" He growled furiously. "I swear that when I get my hands on them..."

"Settle down this instant!" Malefor growled. "Now is not the time to be seeking revenge!"

"But, I thought that..."

"We will get to that in due time." Malefor was even more infuriated than the young black dragon, but he needed to keep his composure now. He had bigger things planned than mere vengeance. "Right now, we must only concern ourselves with my revival. The guardians will come later."

"Hmmm..." Liun took a deep breath and pondered to himself. "I think I have an idea..."

A cold droplet of water fell from the ceiling and splashed onto Cynder's eye lid. The chill caused the dragoness to wake with a shudder.

"Cynder's awake!" Flame exclaimed.

"Flame?" The dragoness stared at him drowsily. She rolled onto her stomach to get to her feet and wobbled slightly.

"Easy there, Cynder." Flame warned her and stooped to help balance her. "You've been out for quite a while."

"Out?" Cynder stared at him blankly then her memory came flooding back. "Spyro!" She gasped and looked around.

"Cynder, relax." Flame placed a steady paw on her shoulder.

"But, Spyro! Is he..."

"No." Flame shook his head. "He's alive. But just barely." He stepped away from her, allowing her to stand on her own.

Cynder breathed a sigh of relief and looked around. They were inside a cave with the hint of a fire coming from the back.

"Where are we?"

"Candice suggested that we follow through with the plan to find this mystery place Spyro was talking about. We reached the mountain range a few hours ago. We've only been settled here for a short while." He jerked his head towards the back of the cave. "Come on, let's get you warmed up."

Cynder followed the fire guardian toward the warm glow of the fire. Ember sat beside a limp-bodied Spyro. The purple dragon rested on a bed of fresh pine the guardians had picked up on their flight. Ember nodded and Cynder returned the gesture. She sighed sadly as she stared at Spyro. He looked so weak and frail that he seemed almost dead. Candice had managed to stop his bleeding but he was still covered in dried blood, giving his scales a deep maroon color.

Tremor and Candice were curled up around Stella, who had patches of ice covering several puncture wounds along her body.

"Are you hungry?" Flame asked. "We only managed to get a couple of sheep between the seven of us in case Spyro woke up." He grabbed a burned leg in his mouth that was lying on a slab of ice against the wall. He exhaled, instantly warming the meat before passing it to Cynder. The black dragoness didn't feel any appetite but her instincts told her to eat anyways. She kept her eyes fixed on Spyro as she swallowed mouthful after mouthful of sheep's meat. When she had crunched down the last of it she sighed loudly.

"You should get some rest," Flame suggested. He curled up next to Ember to try and keep her warm. "It's going to be dark soon."

"I don't think I'll be sleeping much anyways," Cynder muttered. She got up and walked towards the mouth of the cave. "Thank you though. I'll take the first watch." Flame watched her leave before tightening his coil around his dragoness and draping a wing over her and Spyro.

Outside the cave the wind howled wickedly and snow blew across the mountain range. It reminded Cynder of the nights it rained back at the dragon city when she and Spyro would snuggle up together in their pavilion and keep warm by the fire. She gave a heavy sigh as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, Cynder. You okay?"

The black dragoness turned her head to see a groggy Sparx fluttering over to her. "I'm alright Sparx," She replied. "I'm just feeling a bit..." Her voice trailed off.

"Scared?"

"Unsure of what lies ahead."

"You sound a lot like Spyro when you say things like that." Sparx remarked as he sat down on her shoulder. "You two really are made for each other."

"Hm...." Cynder sighed and sat down on her haunches as she watched the blizzard outside.

"Are you planning on staying here alone?"

Cynder gave a half-hearted smile. "If you want to stay, you're welcome to." Then the smile disappeared. "Although I would suggest you get some sleep."

"Why do you say that?"

"I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."

**End**


End file.
